An Eastern Fairytale: The Dragon Mandate
by Lone Maestro
Summary: The Dragon of Gensokyo is hailed as the origin of magic, the granter of wishes. But it soon learns that even IT cannot do everything, especially when it takes the form of a feeble human, in a Gensokyo that is soon to vanish. Is this an unsolvable incident for Reimu?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Team Shanghai Alice owns Touhou.

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><p>A noisy night in Gensokyo.<p>

Magical disturbances were upsetting the usual peace, especially wreaking havoc on the area near Hakurei Shrine. Although the sun had set, the glow of fairies lit the nearby forest. At this time, Reimu Hakurei was strolling towards the Shinto shrine she called her home, having gathered the materials for dinner. Up until now, the day had passed by as any uneventful day, but the shrine maiden dressed in red-white suddenly noticed the commotion ahead.

"It's getting late."

She sighed.

"I have a bad feeling about this mess."

The truth is, there had been quite a lot of incidents in Gensokyo with similar phenomena. Of course, a bit of commotion would be nothing out of the ordinary. In addition, Reimu had gotten herself involved every time an incident occurs, always ending up punishing the troublemaker behind everything, making her the most famous incident solver in all of Gensokyo. The poor shrine maiden must have been feeling tired to not be in the mood for solving this one. Perhaps it was because this incident was not like any other, and Reimu's intuition was already making her reluctant.

"Someone came! C'mon let's party!"

That instant, Reimu had managed to grab the surrounding fairies' attention, and they began showering her with danmaku. As Reimu began levitating, a few yin-yang orbs floated nearby, becoming her energy source.

"I guess it's fun to exterminate once in a while."

She found reassurance in the familiar recoil of the rectangular charms and giant orbs emerging from her gohei. Some fairies made contact with the bullets were knocked back from the explosion. However, more fairies emerged from the forest to replace them.

"What's with them tonight? They're more active than usual."

The battle continued for a few more seconds, with repeated bursts of fire and explosions illuminating the area.

"I really should be going now—time for a Spell Card. Dream Sign 'Evil Sealing Circle,'" Reimu called, brandishing a slip of paper.

The Spell Card created a dark-red aura which expanded to encompass the surrounding area. A giant spinning yin-yang symbol floated beneath her and the fairies. Her gohei launched a complex danmaku pattern of charms, restricting the fairies' motion before another set of charms finished them off.

Danmaku.

Magical patterns of bullets produced from spiritual power intended for both combat and spectacle, both of which seemed to complement one another. Reimu, as any other lucky denizen of Gensokyo, lived in a place where the aesthetics of combat played a major role in determining power. Magical combat would have appeared pretty boring otherwise.

After the Spell Card's effect ended, Reimu was hovering above a patch of crushed trees, some of which had fallen over the road she had been following.

"I'm hungry," she realized. Her attention shifted to a sack of uncooked food she was holding.

As she resumed her journey, a new wave of fairies could be seen approaching.

"I guess it's fine. The sooner I wipe them out, the sooner I get home, and the sooner I can eat and rest."

But all of a sudden…

"This is bad! This is bad, Reimu!"

The voice came from Reimu's orbs, which was known to double as a communication device.

Reimu recognized that voice right away. It belonged to none other than Yukari Yakumo, the youkai of boundaries. Like many other youkai, Yukari had lived long enough to see a thousand years. Nevertheless, she still possessed a youthful, carefree nature. Due to this, the fact that Yukari expressed concern meant something has gone completely wrong.

"What is it, Yukari?"

"Hakurei Border. It's suddenly weakened, especially in your shrine's area."

She was referring to the all-powerful charm separating mythical Gensokyo from the Outside. Reimu was supposedly its protector, and accordingly, her shrine was located right beside the Hakurei Border.

"Wha-!"

A strange incident indeed. The mechanisms of the Hakurei Border were known to few, so Reimu knew next to nothing about maintaining it, despite her shrine being next to it. After all, Yukari was supposed to be in charge of borders. Subsequently, the border had always been taken for granted, and its existence basically entails the existence of Gensokyo. But for this kind of thing to weaken, that could only mean…

"Reimu," continued Yukari from the orbs. "You're near the shrine, right? Would you mind investigating for me? It would be bad if the border disappears altogether."

"Wait a minute—You can't just come here now?"

Surely, as a youkai of that ability and power, Yukari could simply create a portal out of thin air.

"Oh my. There's no need to become impatient. I just woke up, so I need time to get ready. I'll be there in a few minutes. Well, good luck, Reimu!"

Then she cut the connection.

"Lazy old hag. I'll going to make her pay."

As she began to engage the fairies, Reimu detected a powerful concentration of spiritual power in the distance.

"Looks like dinner will have to wait."

* * *

><p>"You're the one behind all of this, aren't you?" asked Reimu, though she was fairly sure of the answer.<p>

She was standing before her shrine's stone stairs and could see an unknown girl, who looked a few years younger than Reimu herself, standing on the steps. She had silver hair and wore a black robe. At last, the one behind everything had been found. All it took now to end the incident was a quick battle, and everything should go back to being normal.

"I guess you can say that," was the nonchalant response.

"You…" Reimu said, her annoyance ignited by the girl's disinterest. "You're nothing but trouble."

The unknown girl's expression changed to reflect both anger and curiosity.

"Do you know how I deal with troublemakers?" asked Reimu mischievously. "I exterminate them. Then I make dinner without a second thought!"

"…"

"Wait, this is…"

Reimu suddenly stopped talking and took a few steps back.

"I've never seen this kind of spiritual power. You seem to be pretty strong…"

As if in response, the girl's aura of energy suddenly expanded.

Reimu paused a second time, taken by surprise.

"Wait… Your power, why is it untame? Raw magic. That means your spells won't be in the form of danmaku. I never thought anyone with untamed spiritual power still exists in Gensokyo. Where did you come from? You're not human, right?"

Reimu sounded a bit more anxious now.

"I'd like to think of myself as one."

"You seem strong for a youkai," said Reimu. "A Shinto goddess? Or maybe a Lunarian. But even they don't use raw magic. And your name?"

Followed by silence.

"I tend to forget unimportant things," she finally answered.

For a moment, Reimu looked dumbfounded. But she then grinned in realization. By now, she had forgotten entirely about the weakened Hakurei Border, Yukari's concern, or the strange commotion caused by fairies. Her annoyance had reached peaked levels and her focus was on defeating the enemy in front of her.

"I see. Looks like your job here is to piss me off."

She launched into the air along with her orbs.

"Do you really think you can fight someone as strong as me," said the stranger, her face still failing to register any emotion.

"O gods of the pure, lend me thy spirit," Reimu muttered in response. "Divine Art 'Demon Binding Ring!'"

An aura similar to the one before began forming around Reimu and the stranger. It had been a while since Reimu last used a hard-leveled Spell Card, but she decided to not take any chances with this opponent. Streams of fast-moving charms dotted the air red and yellow, cutting off any escape routes around the stranger. A second wave of charms formed expanding spheres that rushed out towards her. An attack just as hard to evade as it was beautiful.

None of the bullets had reached the stranger yet, besides the ones cutting off her escape.

Reimu glanced briefly at her opponent, but she showed no signs of countering.

With utter surprise, she discovered something completely unexpected.

On the stranger's face was… a hint of a smile?

Reimu shook off that vision and poured as much energy as she could into her spell, flooding the air with more fast-moving projectiles. After some time, she discovered that she could not produce any more, probably from fatigue.

From the stranger's point of view, the night sky was lit up with colors. Dancing before her eyes were patterns red, yellow, and white that were far too complicated for her to keep track. It was her first time viewing such a spectacle, and she could not suppress a slight, submissive grin.

"How pretty."

But she had said it too softly for anyone to hear. For the next few seconds, she was left speechless as the colors descended upon her, bathing her with light.

* * *

><p>"Reimu, hurry up with the stew, will you?"<p>

"I know, I know. Don't forget that I'm cooking for three people here."

In the cramped space of the Hakurei living quarters, Suika Ibuki was fidgeting impatiently on the tatami while Reimu was stirring raw materials in boiling water. Although Gensokyo was filled with many kinds of mythical creatures, oni like Suika were strangely rare. Perhaps most of them were banned into another realm due to their destructive power.

Reimu's thoughts drifted back to her encounter with the stranger. To her frustration, she had many unanswered questions about the incident, but none of which she had a clue about.

"Hey, Suika… did anything weird happen before I came home?"

"Before you came home…? Hmm, it was all blurry. I don't think I was sober," replied the two-horned oni. "If anything did happen outside, I wouldn't have gone out anyway."

"You're hopeless."

"Heheh. Whatever happens is not mine to worry about. This isn't my household after all."

That was met with silence.

For a moment, only the clatter of cooking could be heard.

"Wow, someone here looks really tired… Hey! Since you've got nothing else to do, how about some quality time with me during dinner?"

Even without looking, Reimu could tell that Suika was brandishing that sake gourd of hers.

"I'll pass. You can have that all to yourself."

Leaving her cooking, she slid open the door and stepped outside.

"Yukari? How's everything going over there?"

On the moonlit shrine approach Yukari's two shikigami seemed to be performing some sort of ritual with their hands, with Yukari seated between the two of them. The border youkai did not turn to face Reimu when she spoke, apparently casting a spell of some sort. From Reimu's point of view, only her long blond hair and pink umbrella were visible. As of that night, Yukari was no longer the irresponsible, playful youkai that Reimu had known.

"Don't worry about the border. I'll take good care of it. By the way, did you learn what caused this?"

"Well… there was this stranger I met near the shrine," said Reimu. Both shikigami turned to look out of curiosity.

"Chen, Ran—concentrate!"

"S-sorry!"

"Got it!"

The two of them seemed to have it hard, working for such a powerful and erratic youkai. One might even wonder why Yukari would even need helpers, given her spiritual power and wit.

"I think I hit her pretty badly," confessed Reimu. "Anyway, she's in no condition to talk right now."

Ever since the battle, a sense of guilt had hung over Reimu, something the bigheaded shrine maiden almost never experienced.

"Reimu. One day your impulsiveness will get the better of you. And you will look even dumber than I give you credit for."

"It was partly her fault too!" said an exasperated Reimu.

"Is that so?"

Said more as an acknowledgement than a question. Reimu was someone Yukari could trust, after all.

"Well, now that she is in your hands, I guess you can have as much fun with her as you please. I'm jealous now."

"Shut up!"

Yukari's eyes narrowed.

"I'm sure she will have lots to tell us."

* * *

><p>"Finally awake?"<p>

The stranger stared blankly into Reimu's face. She looked around, only to be greeted by the dim lighting of a small, mostly empty room.

"You could have at least made an effort, you know," continued Reimu.

"Where…"

"Hakurei residence. I'm Reimu Hakurei. There, now it's your turn to introduce yourself."

"I am… My name is…"

"Oi oi. Did I really rough you up so badly that you can't remember your name? Don't worry. I'm tired too, thanks to you. Hold on a minute while I make you some tea."

While she was heating the water, Reimu found it hard to ignore Suika's glare from behind her.

"Who is she?" the oni asked angrily, her face flushed a deep red, a sure sign of drunkenness. "I saw you bring her in before, but you never told me anything about her. What do you plan to do with her? Is she going to…"

Suddenly, she seems taken aback by something, and leapt in front of the Reimu's face, shrieking in fury.

"NO! I must not allow another person to leech off Reimu! This occupation is taken!"

"You're not really leeching, you know," said Reimu absentmindedly. "You've annoyed me for so long at my house that you've practically become a member of the household."

"S-Seriously?" asked Suika. "A-Am I officially a member of the Hakurei household?"

Suika blushed slightly as she stuttered. Unfortunately, this did not go unnoticed by Reimu, whose face had turned even redder than Suika's.

"GET OUT, YOU DRUNKARD!"

The sound of a blow, then of doors sliding shut. From below, Yukari could see Suika sail through the moonlight.

* * *

><p>Author's note: And thus begins another incident in the tiny world of Touhou FanFiction. Huzzah… Actually, the main storyline was formed a long time ago, and I probably wasted too much of my time changing and mulling over it. But I can imagine plenty other FanFiction weirdos (forgive me) like myself doing the same, so no news there… In other words, yes—this is a planned story. I might take forever to update, though, but that's just due to me being hardcore on the revisions. And despite even that, my writing only comes down to this…<p>

Just to clarify, in this particular story, before the events of this chapter, Yukari's not responsible for the Hakurei Border's strength. Yes, she might tamper with it every now and then to abduct humans from the Outside, but the Hakurei Border itself is being kept up by an unknown force. Not sure if this is what most people think, but just putting it out there.

Anyway, if you see ways in which I can make this more reader-friendly, or if you see any inconsistencies with the canon Touhou, any OOC-ness, etc., give me a warning.

Until next time.

Updated A/N: So writing's not my forte. I should've deduced this by all those disasters that were class essays throughout my years in school, and apparently storywriting's not that much easier. Anyway, chapters 1-6 have been revised as of now, and chapter 7 was written after the revisions.

Nothing major in the storyline was changed. I only added a bit more description to the scenarios and made the characters as canon as they could be... well, don't expect too much from that since it's only the work of a wannabe writer setting a lofty goal.

Now, read on!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Everything in this story is the property of ZUN. Exceptions are the OC and this story's plot, which are derivative works.

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><p>Another busy day in the Human Village. Since it was early morning, people were out and stretching, visitors had started to flood in, and business was underway. As one of the only places where humans could be seen in Gensokyo, this place was the closest thing to what was called a "city" in the Outside. As such, the civilization founded here was a stark contrast to the remote, silent areas of Gensokyo.<p>

The village looked like something from feudal Japan, with old-fashioned houses and a fancy Buddhist temple in the outskirts, despite the 21st century timeframe. Even so, one could see a few pieces of modern technology that occasionally drifted across the Border along with their respective owners.

Two magicians, Marisa Kirisame and Alice Margatroid, were standing in the crowded town center, the former with a smug look on her face.

"Well, hurry up if you're going to show me something," demanded the taller magician, who had short blond hair.

The shorter magician giggled before answering.

"Alice, have you heard the story of the Dragon of Gensokyo?" she responded. She had long blond hair and was clad in black and white.

"It's said to be the most powerful creature to have ever existed," said Alice. "It's supposed to be able to make anything happen."

"I wonder if the legends are true. That just gives it way too much power, don'cha think?"

"A simple human like you would be too naive to understand its power. Of course, we youkai are a different story."

"Well, aren't you lucky," said Marisa. "Speaking of which, I know a perfect way for you to use your new power."

Grinning, she stroked the smooth surface of the stone dragon that stood next to her.

* * *

><p>A mysterious trio had entered the village. One can easily identify the well-dressed maid, but the other two were shrouded beneath umbrellas. The vampires rarely left their mansion during the day, preferring to avoid the harmful rays of the sun. This time, however, a serious issue had driven them to shop alongside their maid. They stopped after passing the gate, apparently startled by the crowded street. On each side of the street, traditional houses and shops were arranged in a neat row.<p>

"Look, look, big sister. I see lots of humans!" said one of the vampires.

"Yes, Flan my dear. And there will be much more to feast on in the Outside," said the older sister. "But don't forget that we're not here to eat."

It was rare for the younger vampire to be taken out of the mansion, due to her fickle nature and immense power. If, by any chance, she went on a destructive rampage, it would be near impossible to stop her. But on this occasion, something was of the utmost importance and even this risk could be overlooked.

Sakuya Izayoi walked ahead, ignoring the other two. Her impassive attitude resulted from her occupation as a maid. Having served the Scarlet Devil household for quite a while, her occupation had become her way of life.

"Milady," the maid said. "Are you sure about the fate of this world?"

"I can feel it like a sixth sense," said the older vampire, Remilia Scarlet. "That's why we're here to stock up on supplies before it's too late." Then with sarcasm, "Don't worry, there's nothing wrong with trusting your master on this one, Sakuya."

"Big sister, is this world really going to be thrown into chaos?" asked Flandre.

Remilia scowled and turned away, since she had already answered that question.

Suddenly, a large group of people could be seen running towards the gate. Screams filled the air, which was then filled dust from the commotion. The trio quickly stepped aside to avoid the stampede. To the maid's surprise, the group comprised of both humans and youkai alike.

"See? It's happening already."

"I don't really think…" said Sakuya as she went to get a closer look.

A stone statue of a dragon could be seen in the distance, but a closer look reveals that it was breathing as if it were alive. Its eyes reflected a dark-red hue. Underneath, Alice and Marisa were bickering about something.

"This is one of your pranks, isn't it?" demanded Alice angrily.

"You should've known how much the people here fear the Dragon," retorted Marisa, as if it was all Alice's responsibility. "Hey, aren't you glad that your puppetry was a success?"

Alice shifted the dragon statue back to its normal position and let it rest. The town center was completely empty now, aside from the two of them. Little did they know that they were not going to be alone for long.

"I knew I shouldn't have come after all," Alice sighed. "Now I'm responsible for turning this place into a ghost town."

"But that means it's time to visit the shops. Well, see you later!"

And with that, Marisa left to do the new task she assigned herself. All of a sudden, a maid and two vampires stood in her way. A few seconds of awkward silence followed.

_T-The entire Scarlet Devil household?_

Although the three pairs of eyes merely stared at the witch with the same curious look, Marisa's attention was immediately drawn to the younger vampire. After all, wasn't she supposed to be locked up in the mansion?

"Er… hello there," said Marisa.

"'Hello there?' Is that all Marisa has to say to me?" asked Flandre. Fire erupted around her body, and her face was lit up with a malicious smile. "And I came all the way here to play with you."

Inside, Marisa's thoughts were along the lines of, _Yikes! She's gonna butcher me!_

"H-Hold on! I don't think that's a good…"

But it was a lost cause. Flandre had spoken, and now even Marisa's flawed conscience was telling her "playing" was actually less risky than angering that devil.

"Uh… Hey, let's get started, then!"

Laughing and still carrying her umbrella, Flandre began shooting rings of pointed bullets from her metal wand, while colorful stars started emerging from Marisa's Hakkero, which she now held in her palm.

As Marisa and Flandre flew off to fight using danmaku, Alice came over to greet the remaining two strangers as if Marisa sacrificing herself to appease the beast was hardly anything.

"Huh? You three seem familiar," said Alice. "I'm Alice Margatroid. Are you Marisa's acquaintances?"

"Ah, allow us to introduce ourselves," said Sakuya as she bowed. "My name is Sakuya Izayoi. This is my mistress, Remilia Scarlet, and her little sister, Flandre. We're here to stock up on supplies before Gensokyo falls into ruin."

"Huh…?"

"I don't believe it either, but Milady can sense this world's fate, or so she says. Anyway, we're planning on paying a certain shrine maiden a visit after this."

"You were supposed to call her a good-for-nothing brat," barked Remilia. "I'll forgive you this time, Sakuya."

"Don't you mean Reimu Hakurei?" asked Alice. "What a small world."

* * *

><p>The sound of crying insects woke the sleeping shrine maiden. Struggling to sit up, she discovered that her body ached all over. As her gaze wandered out the open doorway, she could tell it was already well into the morning. The brightly-lit summer foliage of the forest greeted her eyes. Before long, the brightness of the sun blurred her vision, and the forest swam out of view. It was a dream-like effect, as if the shrine maiden had not completely awoken yet.<p>

"What's with this atmosphere? This world… Gensokyo… seems to be drifting away."

For the first time, Reimu could sense deep inside that Gensokyo was slowly dissolving. Why was she able to sense this? She wondered. Perhaps it was due to the ties she had forged with the gods of Gensokyo, as a shrine maiden. But no matter what caused this experience, she had a gut feeling unlike any other she had felt before.

Feeling too groggy to get up, she closed her eyes.

One thing was certain.

Gensokyo was in trouble. Any ordinary denizen would not notice this, however, for it merely sat passively—waiting to be shattered by an unknown reality.

…A reality?

Why did that concept suddenly appear out of nowhere? Perhaps it was because of the dreamlike atmosphere, as if the time to wake up was drawing near.

"Good morning."

Reimu jumped as she was greeted by the stranger. The girl from the night before was sitting in the corner, as still as a statue, showing no signs of having just spoken.

"Ah, good morning!" said Reimu after recovering. "I almost forgot about you. Sorry about that."

* * *

><p>On the shrine approach, Yukari and her shikigami were still strengthening the Hakurei Border. By now, they had been casting the same spell throughout the entire night. While the shikigami were sweating fountains, Yukari showed no signs of fatigue.<p>

Reimu and her guests were having tea in front of the shrine, as if nothing of importance was happening. To the three of them, the seriousness of the situation seemed to be something worth concealing.

"Master, I'm afraid I fail to continue for much longer!" cried out Ran.

"You two can rest for now," said Yukari. "Good work."

The shikigami limped into the shade of the shrine, hanging onto each other for support.

"So you are the visitor from yesterday?" asked Yukari. "My my. I sense a really strong aura coming from you. Why don't you tell us about it?"

"This power from inside of me," said the girl. "It beckons, calling out to me. Yet, I am unable to answer."

She looked at her pale hands, which had no control over her mana.

"Oh yeah. You still didn't tell us your name," said Reimu.

"I don't remember it. Yet, I don't feel the need to have one."

Yukari stared the new girl from top to bottom, as if she was a doctor trying to diagnose a patient.

"Can I see your mind for a second?" asked Yukari. The border youkai placed her palm on the girl's forehead.

"When one's memories are erased, it is usually locked away in a separate part of one's awareness. But over time, all they do is sit there without disappearing. That is why one's erased memories usually return bit by bit. I shall grant you the ability to transcend the boundary between forgetfulness and remembrance. Be grateful."

After a pause, Yukari's face registered mild confusion.

"It seems you truly do not possess any lost memory," said Yukari. "Does that mean you came into existence just last night?"

Yukari gave it some thought.

"A powerful border suddenly removed, and a new soul appearing at its core… Interesting."

"I have a question of my own," said Reimu. "Exactly what will happen if the Hakurei Border disappears?"

"Oh!"

Yukari could not help being startled by the question. For a moment, her face looked as if a million thoughts were running through at once, an expression Reimu had never before seen on the face of Yukari.

"I'm afraid I can't answer that now. But, look over here. We have visitors."

Two magicians, a maid, and two vampires appeared from the stone steps. One of the magicians and one of the vampires look worn out from battle.

"Looks like a party," said Marisa upon seeing the group. "Mind if we join?"

Alice noticed all the guests surrounding her.

"That's my Reimu," she said. "So the rumors about your shrine being popular visitors are true."

"The Scarlet Devil household, Marisa, and Alice? I don't think I have a choice," sighed an exasperated Reimu. "There's plenty tea in the shrine. Make a mess, and I'll blow you down the hill."

"Feel free to enjoy yourselves," added Yukari.

After the additional guests grabbed their share of tea, they went and sat so that everyone formed two neat rows, each facing the other.

Alice couldn't help but notice Yukari's powerful aura.

"Yukari, right? You seem to be casting a spell of some sort."

"Ah, you remember Yukari?" said Marisa. "The strongest youkai in all of Gensokyo. Also Reimu's most preferred partner in every way."

"W-What do you think you're implying!" asked Reimu.

"I think it's true," Yukari pointed out. "Aren't we the best team there is, Reimu?"

"Shut up!" But she paused, noticing Yukari's disappointment. "I-It's not like that!"

It was true that Reimu and Yukari were danmaku partners. Having already solved two incidents together, the duo had forged a strong bond, or so it's said.

"Hey, Reimu. Want to hear something scary? I think you'd be quite surprised."

The sly voice came from Remilia, who had decided to interrupt as a favor to Reimu.

"Actually, she came to warn you about something," said Sakuya, who was pouring tea for her mistress.

"Fate has told me that the end of Gensokyo has come," said Remilia. "We were just preparing to move out of the mansion."

"And may I ask where you plan to go?" asked Yukari.

"Beyond the Border, to the Outside!" said Flandre. "Just like my sister said."

"…I'm afraid that's not a very bright idea."

Dead silence ensued. A black aura had formed around Yukari, whose face still showed mild contentment despite the atmosphere. All attention was focused on her now.

"I can answer your question."

Up until now, everyone hadn't yet noticed the new girl. But now all eyes turned to her with curiosity.

"I know what will happen if the Hakurei Border disappears. Gensokyo… will be devoured by the real world."

The girl's face matched Yukari's indifference.

"'Real' world, you say?" asked Marisa. "That's strange. I've always known it as the 'Outside.'"

"Magic and magical beings do not exist in the real world," continued the stranger. "And neither does Gensokyo."

"Y-Yeah, that's right," said Yukari, shifting a nervous glace at her. "You vampires don't exist in the Outside. Do you understand? That's why I wouldn't suggest that you go there."

"Even if we don't move to the Outside, staying here doesn't seem like such a great idea either," Sakuya pointed out. "Have any of you noticed the recent disturbances?"

"Not so fast!" called Reimu nervously. "Gensokyo exists, right? We're living in it right now."

…

Throughout the following silence, nobody felt like drinking tea anymore, since the cups had been left untouched before their owners for quite a while. As if on cue, cool breeze had filled the shrine and a large cloud started casting its shadow over the scene. The unknown girl refused to talk further and resumed her silence.

"Hey…" As always, it was Marisa who broke the silence. "I haven't seen you before. What's your name?"

"…Why don't you give me a name instead?"

"What's the matter? Something wrong with your name?" said Marisa. The stranger declined to answer. "Fine, I'll come up with one. Let's see… You speak of the absurd, and you are pretty quiet, as if forever in a daydream."

"Aside from that, you leak enormous amounts of energy," said Yukari. "And you appear to know some things that none of us have a clue about."

"Illusions and knowledge, huh… Mugen," said Marisa. "Meaning 'fantasy.' The character for 'dream' and for 'vision.' Sounds really powerful. How about it?"

People shrugged, apparently not in the mood to spare an additional thought, or having no energy left to argue.

"Fine, Mugen it is," said the girl called Mugen.

And like the end of a meeting, the guests said their goodbyes and disbanded to head back home. The Scarlet Devil household ended up grudgingly calling off their decision to move to the Outside. Yukari had to stay, however, since she had given herself the duty to keep the Border active. Even though she was used to sleeping during daytime and being active at night, on this particular day she had no complaints for good reason. Meanwhile, the clouds continued to cast a dark shadow over the Hakurei Shrine, and a heavy rain looked certain.

"Hey, you know," said Yukari after the guests had left. "She might be right. Gensokyo may soon meet its demise."

Reimu and Mugen did not answer at first, the former looking as though she was deep in thought.

"Oh, does it matter?" Reimu said. "No matter what happens, I'll still take care of myself."

A brief pause.

"Looks like it's going to rain pretty hard soon," she said later.

"Yes, the weather does tend to be weird when an abnormal spiritual energy is present."

"Come to think of it, Suika hasn't come back yet, right?"

Reimu fixed her gaze on the landing of the stone steps, as if expecting the oni to clamber up sloppily anytime.

* * *

><p>AN: Whoa, didn't expect to be able to update that soon. I really need to make my chapters longer, huh? Truth is, by the time I uploaded the first chapter I was already half finished revising this one…

I got a few things to say about my story so far. What's bugging me about writing in third person is that the narrator is supposed to be neutral, so it's sort of hard to speak from a perspective and add flavor and whatnot. Having the entire thing run on dialogue seems to be the easy way out. But then it feels like I'm writing a play now… haha.

Anyway, do expect this story to go on. See you then.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Okay! A little word before we begin. A hearty thank you to those of you who have followed my story up to this chapter. The good news today is that I've decided to give it some action, development, all those good stuff. Your patience shall be rewarded. (No promises, though.)

* * *

><p>Mugen.<p>

That was the name our mystery girl was given. It felt strange to her to be so easily named, and so easily gossiped by those around her, especially when she knew next to nothing about herself.

The best thing to do, she decided, was to start learning more about her roots. Easier said than done, since it appears that she had never existed before last night…

Her power.

That should be the key to everything. The sheer power from within her was sure to unlock any mystery and solve any problem, not just her own. Although there was no evidence to back that claim, Mugen held it in firm belief.

* * *

><p>"Hai."<p>

The interior of the Hakurei living quarters looked more spacious without the oni.

Mugen stared at the object Reimu was trying to give her. It resembled a blank slip of paper, which looked pretty harmless, but she kept her suspicions nevertheless.

"It's a Spell Card," said Reimu. "They're useful to have around here."

Mugen made a reach for it, and the moment her hands made contact, she felt her power weaken.

"What's going on?"

"Your spiritual power was just modified a little. Now you can shoot danmaku."

"…?"

"Imagine a bullet pattern and channel the amount of energy you need for it, then give it a name. This card stores the spell for you to activate whenever you want. They're very reliable."

And after that, Reimu explained to her new visitor about the constant warfare between humans and youkai, the danger posed by meddling fairies, and lectured about danmaku combat. Despite having to teach everything from the beginning, she didn't show any sign of annoyance.

"You seem to like teaching very much."

"Oh it's all thanks to that old hag," Reimu gestured at the door. "I had to educate all the humans she brings through the barrier. It's a pain, really. But I've gotten used to it."

Mugen hesitated for a while, but then nodded complacently. "I see."

It was only yesterday that she and the miko were complete strangers fighting a gruesome battle. The girl could not believe that they could be talking as if they were old friends. Why the sudden change in mood? Perhaps the miko was wary of her power, and wouldn't want to provoke her any further. Without a doubt. That made sense. And so Mugen decided to stick with this explanation.

"I guess I'll be going outside to practice this danmaku," she said.

"Wait!" said Reimu. She hurried to block the doorway. "I can't let loose someone like you in Gensokyo."

"What are you worried about?"

"It's just my intuition…" but Reimu declined to talk any further.

"It's okay, I won't stray too far."

"All right, fine."

As Mugen left the shrine, she could only wonder, just what was Reimu hiding from her?

* * *

><p>In the dark shade of the forest, the gray sky gave the area a darker atmosphere.<p>

Mugen felt welcomed by the coming storm. It seemed to completely fit her newfound power, which now surged through her hands. Her power seemed to be in control now, and all she needed to do was to practice movement and combat.

"Well, why not give it a try?"

Mugen closed her eyes and focused her power on manipulating the force around her to control movement. To her surprise, the soles of her sandals lost their contact, and she began hovering a few feet above the ground.

"The force I'm manipulating right now… called gravity… And if I change its intensity and its direction…"

Where had she learned this?

No… it was in her knowledge all along, but that didn't make sense. Surely she must have gotten this from somewhere…

As part of the practice Reimu had instructed her to do, she redirected the gravity around her so that she could move and accelerate in any given direction. When she was confident in her flying, she turned so that she was facing an open path for her bullets and clasped her hands above her head, ready to forcefully throw her palms forward.

"Now for the bullets."

She closed her eyes again and tried visualizing a danmaku pattern. As easily as the other danmaku users seemed to spew bullets out of nowhere, this was in fact the hardest part of the game. Trying to coordinate and arrange hundreds of bullets mentally, or even simply trying to think of a pattern was a lot easier said than done. Nevertheless, one simple rule governed the processes of danmaku.

If Mugen recalled correctly, it went something like: _the most beautiful one wins_.

At this moment a figure had appeared behind her, although it literally wasn't there a second ago.

Her friendly companion apparently thought scaring her from behind was not interesting enough. So she crept up so that her face was right next to Mugen's when she bellowed:

"Hello, Mugen!"

"Huh? Ghaaa-!"

A crash. From below, Mugen saw a female youkai with black wings dressed in beige and black. Perched on her shoulder was a crow. The black wings dissipated and the youkai landed gently in front of Mugen.

"H-How long have you been watching?" asked Mugen.

"For a really long time. I can see and hear things from far away with the trusty help of the wind. Now what about you, hm? You're a newcomer to Gensokyo, right? My name is Aya Shameimaru, and I'm a journalist for the tengu of Youkai Mountain. I've waited a long time meet you in person. Well it seems like time has come! Now won't you answer a few questions about yourself?"

A tengu youkai. Reimu had told her about this earlier. It looked like the shrine maiden wasn't lying when she said that their specialty is gathering information.

"Sorry, I don't think my memory is reliable."

"Oh that's okay!" beamed Aya as she slapped Mugen in the shoulder. "I can come up with a suitable answer if you don't have any. Honestly, you should thank me for that favor, don't you think?"

"…?"

For a moment, Mugen could only stare into blank space in confusion.

"Right, getting down to business. It looks like you're near the Hakurei shrine. What exactly is your relationship with the shrine maiden?"

"Uh, I know nothing about her—we just met yesterday. She just keeps me in her shrine and lets me stay for the night."

"Huh? And you don't regret sleeping with a complete stranger?"

"N…No."

"And you're not afraid that she might have a shady reason for keeping you, despite her good looks?"

"I don't think so…"

Aya jotted down a few words on her pad. Then she looked up, her expression dead serious.

"My response would be good luck, and remember to make sure your feelings are nicely reciprocated."

"H-Hey. What?"

"Onto the next question!" Aya hurried on. "What were you doing just now?"

"I was tra… playing around." It was best to hide the truth this time, mainly because there was something fishy about the tengu in front of her.

"…I take it that you meant 'training,'" said Aya, not so easily fooled. "Hey, why don't you show me where your hard work has gotten you?"

Was this youkai asking for a fight? She thought back to the conversation she had with Reimu. According to her, situations like this were common in Gensokyo. But usually, the worse outcome a duel could have is torn clothing and a wounded ego. But a second thought had crossed Mugen's mind.

What better way to test her power than now? After all, she had gone out into the woods for experimenting with her power in the first place.

"Okay… I'm ready when you are."

Giggling, Aya put away her writing utensils and shot upwards. "This is gonna be good… Tengu Gale Bullet," she called from above. Around her, white orbs about her own height materialized. Their glow seemed to be enhanced by the surrounding darkness. A split second later, they shot down towards Mugen in succession, leaving long contrails.

_A homing attack… I've heard about this from Reimu. All it takes is to move a little to graze it, right?_

Mugen used her flying ability to quickly move out of the way, just in time for the bullets to rush by. Feeling the wind, she absorbed some of the spiritual energy the bullets were giving off.

_That felt nice. So grazing just temporarily sharpens my senses with magic._

"Heehee. That was just to test you," said Aya before suddenly disappearing. Or rather, what looked like disappearing to Mugen, since it was actually rapid movement. In any case, the spot where Aya used to be was now filled with red and blue bullets moving in random directions.

Mugen deemed a wild goose chase to be fruitless at the moment. A better strategy would be to guess where Aya might attack from next, then move up to counter. Careful to avoid stray bullets, she leaned against a tree in an attempt to hide.

"That's useless! Wind Sign 'Wind God's Fan!'"

Mugen turned upon hearing Aya's voice, but her eyes were instead met with countless streams of red bullets that came with assorted shapes and sizes. Another homing spell. Only this time, it was more… beautiful?

_Not now… I can't be distracted._

She remembered her experience from her last battle with Reimu. It wasn't exactly painless.

To dodge Aya's Spell Card, she merely floated a little higher. This time, Mugen decided to follow the attack to its source, and accelerated forward, grazing the pattern, letting the wind blow across her face.

The feeling of combat. Excitement mixed with a touch of awe. The experience of being locked in a danmaku battle was new to Mugen, but she found it welcoming nevertheless.

_There she is!_

Aya was on the branch of a nearby tree, in a crouched position.

"Glad you're having fun," she said, grinning. "But do I need to wait any longer to see your attacks for a change?"

As if to answer that, Mugen extended her hands forward.

_Here goes._

She took a deep breath.

"Curses and Blessings!"

The bullets were of two types. One of them was a slim pointed bullet of barren white, the color of death. The other was a circular bullet glowing a pale shade of green representing abundance and life. The bullets were mid-sized, and Mugen was firing them at about several thousand rounds per second (A/N: This story takes place in 3-D). Despite the simple gray and green bullets, Mugen had a feeling they could do much more than just explode on enemies, were her spiritual power not confined to danmaku mode.

The pattern was straightforward, but spectacular nevertheless. Bullets traveling at incredible speeds formed a straight line, making a thick horizontal pillar of bullets, where gray and green intermixed. The complex pattern and fast-moving bullets within the pillar made it resemble a giant twister of some sort. At the same time, another cluster of bullets shot off at 45 degrees from the angle Mugen faced. Since Mugen had designed them to be homing bullets, they changed direction and shot straight at the enemy. A powerful gust of wind flowed with the current of bullets, and knocked down nearby trees, seeming to clear a path for the pillar. To make sure the attack was on target, Mugen simply had to move sideways to keep the enemy in the line of fire.

"_Final and most important rule of danmaku battle," Reimu had stated. "Every pattern must be conquerable without the help of a Spell Card bomb. To tell you the truth, I think that's pretty annoying for the offensive side, but apparently the victory of any danmaku battle goes to the one whose attacks are more beautiful and intimidating, not the one who cheats more, or something like that. Besides, it's impossible to think up a pattern that guarantees a strike on your opponent. Your spiritual power automatically clears a path for her through your attack, I think. Magic can be quite stubborn at times, huh?"_

"Waah!"

Upon hearing Aya's voice, Mugen's mind snapped back to the current situation.

After darting to one side to avoid the initial barrage, a surprised Aya summoned a device of some sort out of thin air. She didn't have to wait for the giant pillar of bullets to find her again. Frantically, she began dodging the complex pattern from within the pillar while also keeping an eye out for the homing bullets.

"Almost… there," she said as she edged closer and closer to Mugen, with noticeable difficulty. "Here we go!"

There was a sound of a camera shutter, and all the bullets around the two of them suddenly disappeared, seemingly absorbed by Aya's magic camera.

"Huh?"

Mugen, startled by what just happened, stopped her attack. In front of her, the tengu was standing on the ground, panting heavily. A defeated expression came across her face.

"Ah-hahaha! Was that just a normal attack? Not exactly a weakling, are you?"

"I wouldn't think so. But… what did you do just now?"

"I had to save myself with this camera," she said as she held up the device, smiling sheepishly. "Taking pictures is also part of my job, you know."

Mugen glanced up cautiously. Was it okay to have pictures of her taken? Especially when it was done by a fishy reporter… But she shouldn't have to worry about something so trivial.

"There's one more thing I'd like to try."

_Heehee. This is gonna be quite the scoop!_, the tengu thought excitedly.

Mugen had taken out her Spell Card. She was not going to let her training end here. Finally, a name had been decided. She felt her own power emanate from the spell card she held, and Aya braced herself for whatever calamity was about to happen, readying her camera.

_If my powers have truly awakened, _thought Mugen, staring at her card. _This should tell me everything._

"Embodiment 'Absolute Truth.'"

As the card glowed a blinding white, both of them could not notice the dark aura that had covered the area, almost turning the already dim forest into complete darkness. A moment later, the light faded, and the night sky dominated the scene, with stars littering the sky. A closer look reveals that the stars were actually tiny symbols and pictographs, which gave a primitive atmosphere.

"Wow… would you look at this!" exclaimed Aya, snapping picture after picture from different angles, as if she was unaware of the dangerous power emanating from the nearby entity. "I feel like an archaeologist!"

"I've seen enough," muttered the caster of the spell.

Mugen canceled the Spell Card and gently landed on the ground. A light drizzle had reached the area, and thunder could be heard in the distance. When she looked up, she found herself staring straight into Aya's eyes.

"You're very mysterious aren't you," said the tengu. "I can't seem to tell what you're thinking."

"It's nothing you should be worried about."

Aya's stare reflected even more curiosity.

_Wait, what? Was that a hint of annoyance? Ahh. So she does have a tsundere side after all._ (A/N: Proper usage?)

"Anyway, that was a fun little match. Oops! Look at the weather. Remember to get a copy of the Bunbunmaru if you can. Now, off I go!"

And with a single stroke of her wings, she disappeared without a trace.

* * *

><p>From within the Scarlet Devil Mansion, the low rumble of thunder could be heard. Although there were no windows in the Voile Library, one could easily tell it was raining.<p>

"After that, the girl said that vampires and magic should not exist in the Outside," said Sakuya. "And that's how Yukari finally convinced us to give up our plans."

The two vampires and the maid sat before a round table, joined by the reclusive librarian.

"Good. I wasn't planning on moving out of this library anyway," responded the librarian magician, abiding to her hikikomori doctrine. She wore pale-purple pajamas and a nightcap.

"Tell me, Patchy," commanded Remilia. "What do you think of Yukari's advice? You should have some knowledge of it. Am I correct, Ms. Librarian?"

"Tell me, tell me! What's wrong with the Outside?" added Flandre.

Patchouli Knowledge sighed in response. Then a serious look came across her face.

"Very well. I will tell you everything."

* * *

><p>AN: Dawgh! Just when I get to the revealing part of the story! Sorry, but my time is short and I'm afraid I'll have to end the chapter here before the hiatus for the next few days. But you guys can probably guess what's actually going on from all the hints I've thrown in.

Once again, sorry about the short chapter. I do hope the next one will be just as anticipated as I expected.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: This story is a derivative work of Touhou Project.

* * *

><p>Patchouli Knowledge gazed at the shelves, trying to think of the best place to begin. Remilia, Flandre, and Sakuya had been waiting patiently.<p>

_How did I come across this again? Ah. Yes, that's it._

"There's something funny about a couple of books here."

_It's coming back… I can see it now. The fall of magic. The Hakurei Border. The Dragon…_

"It happened when I was researching magic's history. I came across a particular book. The pages were full of words I couldn't read. Even the pictures made no sense. I suspected it was some sort of code, so I looked for patterns but couldn't find any. And the book was a really thick one too, so I was mad that someone would give me such a useless burden."

She retrieved the book and brought it to the table for everyone to see. Indeed, the words, and even the title, were illegible.

"It didn't make sense for such a huge book to be mostly junk. And it wasn't just that book either. There were others like it. I didn't think much of it at the beginning. After all, it's only a couple of books. There were plenty of others I could use for my research."

Patchouli took a pause to recollect her thoughts.

"Here's something even stranger. I couldn't tell at first, but later I realized that the paragraphs I could read were about Gensokyo only."

Remilia opened one eye at Sakuya.

"Sakuya, do you understand what's going on now? I think I have some sort of idea."

"It sounds very interesting. Though I'm ashamed to say I have no clue."

"Back in the Outside, there was a simple reason as to why I try not to leave the mansion after all," continued Remilia. "And it's not only because I'm weak against sunlight. It looks like my intuition was right. Perhaps it's because I'm familiar with fate. I did order everyone to refrain from using magic in the presence of visitors. Ah, I'm interrupting. Please continue, Patchy."

"Magic exists in the Outside," the librarian stated. "Or rather, that's what some history books say. But I changed my mind after seeing the gibberish textbooks. Also, all the recent books about magic don't mention magic taking place in the Outside at all."

"Let me finish your story for you," interrupted Remilia. "You concluded that magic no longer exists in the Outside. And as for your illegible textbooks, I must say, someone must have been quite annoyed upon browsing your books, is that right?"

"Very few humans wandered into the library. I stay out of sight when they do. But yes, that must be the reason the words are out of shape. It's because the books were read and touched by an Outsider. And this was after magic was erased from the Outside. The gibberish books used to be evidence that magic exists there, so they were simply made unreadable."

"But the paragraphs about Gensokyo…" wondered Sakuya.

"They were probably restored when the mansion went through the Hakurei Border," answered Patchouli.

The others waited to hear more, but were met with silence.

"That's it?"

Flandre wasn't slow to voice her dissatisfaction.

"The story's too short. I want to hear more!"

"She does have a point," agreed Sakuya. "What about our situation? As in, what kind of danger does the Outside pose? After all, we did live there for a long time."

"You still don't understand? The Outside isn't what it used to be anymore. This book," she gestured at the book for emphasis. "…Had its contents destroyed by the Outside. In case you've forgotten, we're magical beings. Who knows what the world beyond the Hakurei Border will turn us into."

* * *

><p>The rain hasn't stopped at the Hakurei Shrine.<p>

Reimu, Mugen, Yukari, and the shikigami were gathered inside the living quarters. Apparently, Yukari didn't have to be outdoors to cast her border-enhancing spell. But again, her umbrella could have been made to do something other than being mere decoration.

"Yukari, do you know where Suika is?"

A blunt question. Reimu had become tired of waiting for answers.

"Hm? Oh, dear me. Can you remind me as to who this 'Suika' is?" asked Yukari, avoiding the question altogether.

Reimu looked confusedly at the border youkai. Sure, she could be careless at times, but to forget such a frequent visitor to the shrine?

_Wait!_

…

_Why? Suika, why am I having trouble remembering you?_

"…A-A two-horned oni," began Reimu hesitantly. "Yeah, that's what she is. And likes to drink too, I think… Right? This is strange."

"I see, you still have somewhat of an image," said Yukari. "Well, I'm afraid you'll probably not be seeing her again."

"Oi oi, this isn't time to be cracking jokes," said Reimu, glad that Yukari was only feigning ignorance.

"No, my Master's being serious this time," Ran spoke up. She was, again, doing a ritual with Yukari and Chen. Reimu gazed at Yukari's face to confirm. Then she looked away, not wanting to see that hint of sadness again on Yukari's face.

"Master, what's wrong?" asked Chen.

"Oh, it's nothing at all," said Yukari, regaining a small smile. "When we forget her, it'll all be over."

Reimu, dumbfounded, could only wait to hear more. Mugen, like always, was absorbed in her own thoughts. Her mind was still at her battle with Aya.

"Ah, I should have told you this earlier, but I didn't want to break it to you," said Yukari. "Last night, Suika got lost making her way back here. Since Hakurei Border was weak at the time, she ended up in the Outside…"

"What!"

"And…" The youkai sighed. "The Border's strengthened a lot since last night, so she's been trapped until now. I can say for sure that she's fallen victim already. I can't reopen the Border, since that puts all of Gensokyo at risk. I'm surprised she's made it for so long. But again, in the end she was a sacrifice, an unfortunate one indeed."

"What exactly is 'falling victim'?" asked Reimu, who had suddenly gotten up.

"I don't know for sure. I made up the term just now, just from seeing our failing memories of her. Everything's based on guesses. If there is such thing, there's no proof."

It was odd for Yukari to so readily proclaim a lack of knowledge. But given the circumstances, anything couldn't be odder than what was happening to Suika.

"Reimu, trust me on this… my guess is that she disappears. Every proof of her existence is erased. Forgotten. Hey, don't you think this works out well? After all, it's much better for us than to live with a pained memory of her. Everything is just fine… Ahaha."

"Shut up, you old hag… I'm going to find her," said Reimu, grabbing her gohei and ignoring the sulking Yukari. "Open the Border, will you?"

"Oh, you foolish girl," said Yukari, shaking her head. "I knew you would want to do something like that. If you go, then you're also likely to end up just like… just like… whoever we were talking about."

Without responding, Reimu merely waited.

"Well, there's no stopping you," sighed Yukari. "I've already opened the Border just a tiny bit. There should be a portal behind the shrine just for you."

Reimu had already made her way to the front door. The roar of the rain could be heard on the other side.

Then it happened.

Reimu hadn't seen it coming, with her hand about to slide open the door. It was at that moment that the door seemed to throw itself open for her. And Reimu's face was greeted by the sour sake smell released from the oni's breath as she bellowed, "I'M HOOOME!"

A good ten seconds of silence, with Suika standing in the rain. Apparently, no one in the house had registered what had just taken place yet.

"Uh, Reimu?"

"Hmph."


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Hm, this story's not exactly a good review trap, huh? I hate to admit it, but apparently this scores pretty low on the interest meter… (Hint, readers! Now would be a good chance to review tell me you think otherwise! Nah, kidding.)

Another chapter of very dense explanations based on made-up facts about magic and science that have almost nothing to do with the canon. Hey, every fan tries to embellish their own Touhou-verse, right? I tried to avoid any inconsistencies with the canon, though. Enjoy.

* * *

><p>"My, my. What miracle is this?"<p>

Despite the cheery news that she referred to, Yukari spoke hesitantly. The six of them were seated comfortably in the Hakurei living quarters, Yukari and shikigami, Reimu, Suika, and Mugen.

"W-Well, it wasn't like I was about to risk my life for you or anything," Reimu quickly added.

"Oh, really?" said Suika. "But anyway, I can still tell you're really glad I'm back!"

As Reimu glanced at Suika, she could see that the oni was in a total mess. Dirt and gravel covered her body and gourd, in addition to reeking of both sweat and alcohol.

"Hm? Was Suika really in danger?" asked Mugen. A brief break from daydreaming, it seems. Accordingly, all eyes turned to her, waiting for more. "That's strange. I never got that feeling."

"Uh… yeah," said Reimu. "I could have sworn weird things were happening to her in my head, especially when I started forgetting things about her. Right, Yukari?" Yukari nodded in agreement. "Good, I'm not crazy after all."

"More importantly, let's hear your story," said Yukari finally. It was addressed at Suika.

"It's come down to this, huh," sighed the oni as she lay down and stretched. "Unfortunately, the things I went through in the Outside are really fuzzy. To be honest, I have no idea why that is. And I'm feeling reeeally tired."

"It's because you were starting to cease existing," said Yukari. "A person's awareness is the key to existence. After all, someone who is perceived by people, by definition, exists. It then makes sense that one who ceases to exist does not perceive oneself. I would guess that to be your case. Isn't that right, Suika?"

Mugen couldn't tell if it was by chance, but when she was talking, Yukari's eyes met with hers for a second. This movement was unnoticed by all but the two of them. The youkai's searching eyes seemed to crave the truth, though they already bore evidence of deep knowledge. This time, Mugen had an idea of what it is that Yukari sought.

"Awareness…" echoed Mugen, looking away.

_Is that really the truth? Whatever it is, this youkai knows it._

"Anyway, I've never heard of another case of a near-forgotten youkai reentering Gensokyo," said Yukari. "And I've lived here ever since the Hakurei Border was formed. This must be the first time, isn't it? That would mean… in all other cases, the youkai that ventured Outside and never made it back were all permanently forgotten. Zero proof of existence. Only Suika has lasted long enough to make it back." Then, to Suika. "Tell us everything you remember. Take your time, now."

"Right, something just came back to me," said Suika. "I was wandering down a street in a really unfamiliar place. I was probably drunk, but I remember carelessly walking into a couple of humans. But they walked on, almost as if nothing happened. Not a word of apology, or even badmouthing. At first, I dismissed them as weird Outsiders. And then right after, call me crazy, but I realized I was becoming transparent. Like a ghost, you see? Hm… Sorry, that's all I remember for now."

"Well, you're not exactly the cleanest here," Reimu pointed out. "So I guess you must have collapsed onto the ground or something. No one would have noticed."

"Yes, this is why we denizens of Illusion (A/N: This can mean "Gensokyans") stress this: Contact with the Outside is to be avoided at all times," said Yukari. "One must strive to not be seen when visiting the outside. Unless you're haunting a Outsider. You know, a scared Outsider would believe anything. That's why they pose no threat. It is only showing something they would disbelieve that poses a contradiction, and such contradiction is what ultimately destroys us, so the world can be brought back to balance. Any sign of inexistence would be bad news to anyone visiting the Outside. Normally, the story should end there for most ventures beyond the border. But Suika here is the first one to survive for over a night and make it back. Now, Suika. Don't you have anything else to add?"

The shikigami Chen and Ran could only stare at their master. They were sure Yukari had known none of this a few minutes ago. It was surely amazing how much the experienced mind could comprehend.

"Now that you mention it, I did feel like something was protecting me," admitted Suika, who had adopted the most thoughtful facial expression she had ever had. "A powerful force hovering above me, almost as if watching over me. It was strange… I was being watched wasn't I? Who could it be?"

Again, Yukari's gaze fixed on the one person in the room she knew held all the answers.

"The supreme god of Illusion," said Yukari. Like the day before, a dark aura was suddenly rising around her. "The only force that surpasses both the confinements of Illusion and Reality… that allows for the coexistence of magic and science. Mugen! You've done something with Suika, haven't you?"

"Um… I only met her last night," answered Mugen, startled by Yukari's demanding attitude. She turned to Suika. "I saw you last when Reimu blew you away. I don't know much about you, since I'm new here."

"New, you say?" asked Yukari. "You say this while wielding an ancient power that has existed since… mankind became aware of it. I assure you, that's no short amount of time. I have countless questions for you, but I'm afraid your memory won't cooperate. I do have one question that I'm sure you'll be able to answer."

Yukari tried her best to speak casually, but Reimu and the others could clearly hear the excitement in Yukari's outbursts.

"The Dragon of Gensokyo, it's you isn't it?"

Mugen was sure she heard correctly. So the power thriving within her had a name. The power that she had felt surging through her fingertips, that she was able to manipulate into overwhelming danmaku patterns, that she was sure had many mysteries she had yet to discover. Finally, it was given a name.

_Dragon_.

Mugen looked up and realized that everyone, except Yukari, had inched away with caution, now gaping at her.

_I'll need to get used to this_.

Yukari was giving her a stare that seemed to dare her to lie. How could she? Yukari was never mistaken, and she definitely knew the truth. Lying would serve no purpose in this situation.

"Yes, I'm the Dragon."

Her voice did not quiver. It was a firm statement, and Mugen did not have to try to cover any sign of nervousness. There was no longer anything to hide, after all.

* * *

><p>"I don't know if this is too much to ask," began Sakuya. "But why did magic disappear off the face of the Outside?"<p>

"I can't be sure," said Patchouli. "This is all a legend, but they say science is become more and more advanced in the Outside, and this puts a strain on all the magic. Whatever power that was balancing science and magic found it impossible to keep the balance. When Gensokyo was quarantined, they said it was to confine the youkai that were running amok. My guess is, rather than that, it was actually for the sole existence of magic. That's why the Outside and here differs so much in terms of technology and such. It's much easier to balance science and magic here than in the Outside. And the power that is responsible for this balance… belongs to none other than one type of god, the Dragon."

"I have a question!" exclaimed Flandre. "What's science?"

"Hm? I can answer that," said Remilia. "Science is the study and usage of the natural phenomena in the universe."

"Ahh, big sister is smart indeed." But she gave it some thought afterwards, still not completely satisfied. "Wait, then what's the difference between science and magic?"

* * *

><p>"Precisely," said Yukari, to Reimu.<p>

She took a sip of tea, relaxing since everything had been settled for the time being. The shikigami were playing games away from the group, and Reimu still sat nearby, occasionally eyeing Mugen cautiously.

"The truth is, there is very little difference. Science and magic are both sets of laws that guide the universe, but it's VERY difficult for both sets of laws to govern the same universe, apparently. You know, when you cross the Hakurei Border, you are essentially traveling from one universe to the next."

"So does that mean I can't do this in the Outside?" askd Reimu, who was making her Yin-Yang Orb glow and levitate above her hand.

"You can. That's because you, as a whole, are a product of magic. It's in your blood. However, denizens of the Outside would not remember ever seeing this Orb. Nor would they remember you after you disappear.

"But I'm very curious about you, Mugen. Just why on earth would the Dragon choose a delicate soul to govern it? It must be out of its mind. But wait, it doesn't have a mind. My guess is that, in order to manifest itself here in Gensokyo and not wreck havoc, it uses a soul as a container. I see… that means a soul must be strong enough entity to house the Dragon."

Since Mugen had been pretty numb and insensitive for a human, it felt strange for her to be dubbed a "delicate soul."

"Remember," continued Yukari. "The Dragon is not a sentient being. Its job is to keep the balance between magic and science, but that's not its ability—its ability is something along the lines of controlling the truth. Even I don't understand the workings of it, but there's no doubt it has ridiculous potential. To give the Dragon emotions would be asking for trouble, since feelings would be something it cannot control. Yes, that's it… The Dragon is more like a set of machinery than a sentient being. That's why, Mugen, please try not to lose control over anything. You are in charge of its power now."

"…I understand."

"I've always wondered about where the Dragon resides when it is not seen," continued Yukari on her revelatory spiel. "Something as great as it would need a huge container, one whose spiritual caliber is high enough to house the Dragon. It turns out it's the Hakurei Border. Fitting, isn't it? For the protector of Gensokyo to dwell in a barrier that shields the land from the Outside. Now that the Border has greatly weakened, it can only mean the Dragon is no longer there. One way or another, it's ended up residing in a soul that's sitting right across from me. How interesting indeed."

"Hey, Mugen…" said Reimu. "Don't be rash, okay?"

As the wielder the Dragon's power, Mugen couldn't help but feel a little burdened by the commands and responsibility given to her.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure."

Deep down, she knew it was all futile. She was certain she could take on every one of the youkai and humans in Gensokyo and still emerge victorious, making it hard to take commands seriously. But for the sake of trust, she decided to obey. Her intuition told her to protect those around her, and she would do exactly that. For Reimu's trust, and Yukari's. And Marisa, and the vampire household.

* * *

><p>"So the Dragon resides in the Hakurei Border, which is why the border is immensely strong," said Remilia. "But somehow, I don't think that's the case."<p>

"That's the only force here that's strong enough to house it, I think," said Patchouli. "What, do you have any other ideas?"

"I wouldn't be too sure," said Sakuya. "When we were at the shrine, Yukari was strengthening the Border all by herself."

Patchouli's eyes widened, and she looked away, deep in thought.

_So that means the Dragon has manifested itself here in Gensokyo. I've read lots of legends talking about this, but I'm not sure which is the right one that's happening. They're probably all fake anyway. But it doesn't matter now._

The other three waited her to continue.

"Well… I have nothing else to say," said the librarian, getting up, ready to go back to reading. "That's all I know."

"Well then," said Sakuya. "I shall take my leave."

"Good day to you," said Remilia, as if she was concluding an afternoon teatime, and the three of them made for the exit.

Standing behind them, Patchouli waited until they were out of sight, before allowing a slight, smug grin to spread across her face.

"Get ready, Dragon. I'm going to find you. And defeat you too, if you don't mind."

* * *

><p>AN: Okay, from here on, it's less explaining, more action. To be honest, I'm getting bored myself typing all these Q&A. Anyway, as you can already tell, Patchouli is going to face off with Mugen.

Patchouli: Mugen's a fictional character. I can't care less about her.

Yes, but so are you.

Patchouli: I'm alive and thriving in the minds of millions of people.

Is the Touhou fandom that huge?  
>Hm… anyway, you're the smartest and most socially rebellious character in the franchise. That makes for a perfect villain, don't you think?<p>

Patchouli: There are no such things as villains in Touhou.

I'll have you know that you're one of my favorite characters in the franchise.

Patchouli: So? What's that supposed to mean?

(Sigh)… Not even a sign of appreciation.  
>Anyway, readers, I'm going to get really busy over the coming days, having just become a college student. Anyway, to continue this story, I would appreciate some encouragement. And so, I'm going to do some panhandling. Ahem… review, please? Comments, ideas, suggestions, criticisms, guesses, anything.<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Sorry for the long wait. At least this is officially the longest chapter in the story so far. Meh, I probably spent a lot more time than I should have. After all, readers had probably forgotten what took place in the previous chapter, or even what this story was about. In other words, it's a writer's worst nightmare. To save myself the agony, I made sure it'll all come back to you once you start reading. So please, do enjoy it to the fullest.

Disclaimer: This story is a derivative work and is not for commercial use. Um... who would do that, anyway?

* * *

><p>"Yo, Reimu!"<p>

It was morning in Gensokyo. Although the rain had stopped, it had left quite a mess on the shrine grounds. Accordingly, Reimu Hakurei was up early to do her usual cleaning. She didn't mind having to do her chores, however, with the surprising events from the previous day seeming to give her no time to complain about the tiniest things. Going down her daily routine had somehow turned into a something she actually looked forward to. In the end, Suika had turned out to be just fine, and Mugen had turned out to be the container of the fabled Dragon.

It was at this time that Marisa Kirisame decided to drop by for a visit. With the help of her broom, the magician didn't have to worry about the muddy ground.

"Ey, Marisa. What do you want this time?"

"Nothing much," said Marisa.  
>But after knowing her for so long, Reimu knew she meant the complete opposite.<br>"Say, haven't you heard? Rumor is that there's a strange and powerful guest at your place. Now, you're going to introduce me to her."

"Rumors…" said Reimu. "Oh, yeah. You really shouldn't take that tengu for her word. All right? There, now you can go back home."

"Heheh, I don't think so," said Marisa, as she walked closer until Reimu's vision was blocked by the magician's face. "You gave it all away with just that. You can't hide it forever, right?"

"But, uh…" Reimu turned to look back at the shrine building.  
>The four of them hadn't gotten up yet. She let out a sigh.<br>"Fine, you win. But you better keep this a secret."

"Awesome," beamed Marisa. "See? I knew I should have come."

_Good_, thought Reimu. _It's safe to tell her after all._

Actually, Marisa had not told Reimu that she would keep it a secret. On another note, if she did, then she would probably have to backtrack on her promise due to her twisted code of ethics.

* * *

><p>"Good morning."<p>

"Eh? So you're the Dragon."

_How can you say that as if it's nothing special?_ thought Mugen as she slid shut the door behind her before walking towards the two companions.  
>She immediately recognized the one dressed in black and white as the cheery visitor to Hakurei shrine from the previous day.<p>

Yesterday's events dawned onto her. Mugen learned that whatever was inside of her had the ability to weave together magic and science. She herself, however, had little knowledge of this power other than the fact that she could use it as an energy source for her danmaku.

But something new about her was revealed at last night's events. It was due to her that Suika survived in the Outside, right? Apparently, it was because she had gotten to know Suika right before the oni was kicked out. So as the Dragon, simply getting to know a magical being can endow it with protection from the Outside. Or at least, that was Yukari's logic. But knowing the extent of that youkai's knowledge, it was probably true.

"Hello, hello? Mugen, right?" asked Marisa.

Enough daydreaming. The people around her must be getting quite annoyed.

"Remember me? We've met before," she said. "I gave you that name. How do you like it? Should I take it back?"

Yet another person who was trying so hard to please her. Was her power really feared to this extent? No, that can't be it. The magician showed no sign of fear, but her smile was nevertheless unreadable.

"Uh, no. That's fine," Mugen answered.  
>After all, having others address her as the "Dragon" would be taking things too far.<p>

"Don't take her too seriously, oi," suggested Reimu. "There's no way Marisa would take back whatever she did anyway."

Ignoring Reimu, Marisa approached Mugen. "Anyway, I'll be taking you…" she slapped her hand on the girl's shoulder. "For a walk. We'll have such a fun time!"

"Uh…"

"Sure, go ahead," said Reimu, returning to her work.

Mugen couldn't believe what just happened. Was Reimu really letting Marisa whisk her off like that?

"Shall we?" asked Marisa, extending her hand at Mugen, who hesitated for a bit before complying.

* * *

><p>"So what does the Dragon do anyway? Are you going to take over Gensokyo or something?" asked Marisa.<p>

They were sitting on a branch, under the shade of the Forest of Magic. The area was densely covered with flowers and grass, trees and shrubs unseen in the Outside.

"I still don't know what I'm supposed to do," answered Mugen.

"Ah, so taking over Gensokyo still might be on your agenda. Once you do that, be sure to create plenty of magical mushroom patches. I especially like the tasty phantasmal kind."

"Hm... even if I could, I don't think I'd want to take over Gensokyo," said Mugen.

"That's a good girl," answered Marisa, thinking, _I'm just teasing you, can't you tell!_

"So, uh… who is Reimu to you?" asked Mugen.

After all, the shrine maiden had not spared a second thought at leaving her with Marisa.

_Wh-whoah!_

Marisa's facial expression almost frightened Mugen off the branch they were sitting on.

Grinning a little too intensely, Marisa asked, "Are you trying to get me to say something? Hm?"

"Sorry! That's not what I meant!" Mugen managed to utter, though she wasn't sure what Marisa took her to mean.

Marisa looked confused for a while. "Huh? I'm not sure what you're asking, but I don't mind too much."

…_Huh?_

"You can have her if you want it that badly. Just don't get on her bad side too much, and she'll make a pretty fun partner."

Mugen's jaw dropped at the complete turn of events. A simple question about trusting a friend had… turned into a piece of relationship advice?

Marisa took one look at Mugen's face and couldn't help it anymore.

"Just. Kidding!" she said, while shoving Mugen off the branch in one smooth motion.

* * *

><p>"Is this it?" asked Mugen.<p>

They had been flying for the past few minutes before finally reaching a house. Unlike all the houses, this one was not built in an Eastern fashion, but was a plain wooden cottage painted white. Handmade dolls floated around the place, as if protecting the house.

"Yup, this is it. Doesn't Alice's place look nice?" said Marisa as they hid behind the bushes. "I'm going to have some fun now. You can stay here if you want. If things get out of hand, then you can have your share of fun. See ya!"

And with that, Marisa made a beeline for the front door, with Mugen watching from her hiding place. Strangely, Mugen had the feeling that she was being watched.

"Oi, Alice!" said Marisa, grabbing a doll that was resting nearby. "I'm borrowing Shanghai for a bit."

"M-Marisa!" protested Alice, throwing open the door, still in her pajamas. "At this time of the morning?"

"Don't worry, I'm sure Shanghai will love my experiments," said Marisa as she rose from the ground on her broomstick.

"Oh, I see," said Alice contently, rubbing her eyes. "You're just trying to pick a fight."

As she was magically gathering her dolls, she looked up in surprise. Marisa had darted away and was almost out of sight.

"Wait, come back!"

An awkward silence followed, with Mugen observing a slightly distraught Alice from behind the bushes.  
>Alice sighed before letting out a helpless grin.<p>

"Looks like that brat really was here to steal a doll. No way would she want to mess around with me."

A noise sounding like a flying object, coming from afar, seemed to get closer.  
>"What are you talking about? I love messing around with you!" said Marisa, coming from the opposite direction. She threw Alice's doll back towards her opponent.<p>

"Magic Sign 'Stardust Reverie!'"

Marisa, headed straight towards Alice on her broomstick, used her mini-Hakkero to produce four magic circles that spun around her. As the circles orbited Marisa, they showered the area with trails of colorful star-shaped danmaku bullets.

Alice didn't have time to counterattack. Instead, she leapt aside, letting her dolls take the hit. After Marisa's spell card ended, with one hand holding a spell book, she began shooting green bullets from her other hand. Marisa, however, dodged them with ease.

"I get it, I get it," said the puppeteer, pretending to be annoyed. "Here's the fight you wanted."

* * *

><p>Mugen heard a rustling noise and a thump coming from next to her. A dirty figure with long, purple hair clad in pajamas and a nightcap had landed face-down beside her. A few magical books also lay sprawled around the area.<p>

"Hey… Are you all right?" asked Mugen.

"Why must the forest have to be so hard to navigate?" complained Patchouli without stirring from her position.

The librarian stood up and faced her companion with the most stolid expression she could muster.  
>"The Dragon. That's you, right?"<p>

"Yes, that's right. But how did you find out?"

But without answering the question, Patchouli had suddenly grabbed Mugen's arm.

"You're coming with me."

Before she could respond, Mugen felt a jerk from her arm and the two of them were airborne soon after.

"Yo, Patchy!"

Despite Marisa's cheerful tone, there was a hint of suspicion coming from the black-white magician in front of the two of them. Alice watched from nearby.

"I don't see you out here often. Finally grew tired of that boring mansion?" asked Marisa.

"Huh? So Marisa didn't invite you here?" asked Alice.

Without looking at either of them, Patchouli answered, "I have no business with you two."

"Oh? Then what are you doing so near my house?" asked Alice.

"It shouldn't have anything to do with you," answered Patchouli. "Now why don't you be a good youkai and go hunt for humans or something?"

"Hold on a minute," said Marisa, who then noticed Mugen being dragged along. "This is my good friend you're kidnapping. How about we settle this with a duel?"

All of a sudden, the tense atmosphere made everyone's hearts race. It seemed like a battle between the Great Unmoving Library and the Forbidden Magic Team was about to take place. The three magic users already had their hands ready to open their respective spell books. Though Patchouli was weaker in terms of number, Mugen could tell from detecting her power that she had been prepared for battle and would put up an intense fight.

No… The librarian had more than enough strength to take care of them both. In fact, it just crossed Mugen's mind that Patchouli had been a little _too_ prepared.

"No, it's all right. I don't mind going with Patchy."

"Is that so," said Marisa, relaxing after realizing that Mugen was trying to avoid a conflict.

"What a shame, I was getting warmed up," complained Alice.

"Patchy's as blunt as always, aren't you?" continued Marisa. "You must have known that Mugen is a newcomer. And you're just anxious to make a new friend, right? It sure looks like it."

_There's no way Patchy could've known anything about the Dragon after all_, thought Marisa to herself.

"You can think what you want," said Patchouli. "I simply have business with this girl. Now if you'll excuse us."

This time, Marisa let them pass her. There was only so much that an antisocial librarian can do, right?

* * *

><p>The room was dimly lit by an old chandelier. The whole place was filled with towering bookshelves complete with reading tables and cushions, as if the entire room was built to be shared among thousands of readers. The Gothic architecture embellishing the room gave it a Western feel.<p>

"Welcome to my room," said Patchouli matter-of-factly.  
>The two of them were standing side by side at the front entrance.<p>

"It's so big..."

But Patchouli suddenly flew ahead, then stopped to turn around.  
>"Dragon. You should know why I brought you here."<p>

Mugen shook her head.  
>"No. Your intentions are still hidden."<p>

Patchouli was confused.  
>"I thought it was obvious. Looks like everyone's too much of an idiot to notice anything. But that aside, I'm going to take you down!"<p>

Patchouli leapt into the air, clutching her spell book, and started firing beams of laser that rotated about an axis.

"W-Wait, why do I need to be taken down?"

"No questions!"  
>Next, Patchouli hurled groups of fast-moving bullets bunched together, which Mugen dodged hurriedly, only to end up exhausted after the barrage was over.<p>

_This girl is really intent on defeating me. But why?_  
>Mugen gazed at her surroundings. The two of them were in the air, above a wide aisle with shelves lining both sides.<p>

"I guess it can't be helped... Curses and Blessings."

The entire room shook at the sheer power of Mugen's attack. It was the same one used against Aya, except this time the giant room allowed Mugen's spell to exhibit its full force. A thick pillar of spinning green and white shot straight at Patchouli, with a stream of homing bullets following suit.  
>After a while, an explosion at the far end of the room told Mugen that her attack had landed. From the smoke emerged Patchouli, injured but looking more angry than in pain.<p>

"How disappointing, Dragon," she said, hiding her fatigue. "You better live through this. Moon Sign 'Silent Selene!'"

Rapid danmaku bullets glowing blue and yellow ran through the air towards Mugen and soon, she found herself overwhelmed by them.

_Interesting. A mixture of elements from both sun and moon... She seems to have put a lot of care in her spell. It looks hard to dodge, but not impossible_, thought Mugen as she continued to pummel her opponent with her own bullets while dodging. However, Patchouli only flinched slightly from the impact due to the endurance gained from her Spell Card.

"What are you doing? Aren't you going to use your own spells? Whatever... Five Elements 'Philosopher's Stone!'"  
>Immediately after, Patchouli had to endure having an immense amount of spiritual power drained from her by the spell, and couldn't suppress a scream.<p>

"Stop it already," muttered Mugen, who still didn't see the point of the battle. She was starting to feel tired.

Stones of every color were scattered around the area. Suddenly, they ejected pointed bullets in all directions. Something started to pierce Mugen on the side, and before she knew it, she was on the floor, the air blown away from her chest. She looked around saw the extent of the damage from that single bullet—overturned tables and the shredded paper from surrounding books.

_What a tiring battle. Maybe I should give up._

When the smoke cleared, Mugen could see Patchouli, who was also worn out from being repeatedly battered by Mugen's bullets. The magician still looked intent on fighting.

"Um, you know," started Mugen, brushing dust off herself. "I really don't think it's a good idea to keep fighting. You're a really skilled magician. We'll count this as your win, okay?"

No response.

"So let's stop now, okay? Maybe we can talk about this..."

"Are you surrendering?"

Upon closer look, Mugen could tell Patchouli was trembling with anger.

"So you mean to tell me... that everything that I've worked for... that it's all for nothing!"

"...Huh?"

"Look at this!" Patchouli swept her arm around, gesturing at the library. "This was my life for as long as I remember. Magic, the supernatural, history, I know them all. The joy of learning chose me over everyone else. Isn't that obvious? Which is why everything going on outside the mansion is way below me. Youkai hunting humans, humans hunting youkai, youkai and humans alike hurting those of their own kind. And that's all there is to it. I most definitely do not deserve to live in that kind of world, don't you agree?"

Mugen was dazed by the sudden outburst. How could she empathize with someone while she barely understood her own experience?

"Yes… you're right."

"Don't think I'm finished yet, Dragon!" Patchouli then pointed an accusing finger at her opponent. "You! Whose power is unmatched by anyone else in Gensokyo. Who everyone knows better than to go against. Ever since I knew you appeared, I've wanted to fight you. It's been so hard being a scholar, especially when there's nowhere to use my knowledge. But finally... something that gives me a purpose. Something that can prove that all my time isn't wasted after all... Did you know how grateful I was when I realized you were here? Tell me, why won't you fight seriously?"

_Ah, that's it.  
>So I've been taking this not seriously enough. She's putting more value in our battle than I am.<em>  
>"That's because..."<p>

_I might as well tell her the truth. There shouldn't be any harm in doing that._

"I have an immense power inside of me. Because of this, it's hard to take any battle seriously. Sorry for ruining your expectations. I mean it. But… I'm relieved. This battle's starting to make sense now. That's why you should calm down. If there's anything to resent from now on, it's your own weakness."

"I see," responded Patchouli, whose anger had left her face. "Then in that case, there's nothing to fret over anymore. You've got nothing holding you back now, correct? Well then..." She clenched her fist, with a hint of a smile.  
>"Let's make this the greatest battle to take place on this land. It shall be recounted as legends in years to come."<p>

Mugen knew what this meant. They were going to go all out, no longer having anything holding them back.

"Brace yourself, Dragon," said Patchouli. "Metal and Water Sign 'Mercury Poison!'"

From the sheer energy released from that spell, Mugen could tell it was cast at Lunatic level. Her Spell Card was held in her hand at the ready, but she decided to save it for later. Surely, the magician had a lot more to deliver.

The bullets were blue and yellow and came in a dense, swirling bunch, each of them moving in its own direction. Mugen knew she couldn't dodge all that, having had a limited time of practicing dodging maneuvers. To make up for the damage, she simply put more intensity on her own attack.

"Curses and Blessings."

After the smoke from the damage inflicted on the two of them cleared, the two of them were still floating gently in the air, as if nothing had happened. Yet, bruises and scratches were all over them.

"I-Intense!" Mugen managed to exclaim. "But your spells are heavily focused on sculpting your elements your own way. Don't you think it would be better if you bring out the full potential in each element?"

Patchouli's irritated look told Mugen that what she had said was true.

"This is a battle, for heaven's sake. Stop lecturing me on my style. It's up to me to improve myself."  
>She shot a few more rotating lasers and bullets, which by now Mugen had no trouble dodging.<p>

"I was just trying to help," responded Mugen. "Magic is your field of study, right? I think you should realize... I was the one who created magic."

_There's no doubt. This piece of knowledge seemed be with me from the time I came into being, as well as knowledge about the workings of magic and the supernatural._

Patchouli didn't look surprised.  
>"So the Dragon's power reaches this extent."<p>

She laughed. "How interesting. The more I learn, the sweeter the victory when I defeat you... Earth and Metal Sign 'Emerald Megalith!'"

This time, the bullets were green, but of two sizes, straight-moving large circular crystals, and bunches of smaller, randomly moving gems.

_This one's easier to dodge, but I can tell this spell isn't on full potential... Could it be, that she's just preparing to cast a final, devastating spell?_

"Oh!"  
>By now, Patchouli had weakened to the point where a hit from one of Mugen's bullets would cause her to cry out. Panting heavily, Patchouli could see Mugen in a similar state.<p>

"Almost there... Why, why won't she use a spell?"

The magician looked over her next Spell Card. Then, she floated upwards to get a clear view of the area.

"Let's see how everything turns out... Fire Sign 'Agni Shine!'"

_Huh?_ thought Mugen as she observed the pattern. _Why is she using such a basic leveled spell? She has yet to use her final spell. I'll just have save my Spell Card until then._

In the distance, the area where Patchouli was casting her spell was now two expanding vortices of fireballs spinning in opposite directions. It was at this moment that Mugen felt a strong pattern of spiritual power emanating from the spell, one that she wouldn't expect from something as basic.

_Wait..._  
>But it was too late. The bullets from Patchouli's spell, Mugen discovered, were twice as fast, and twice as hotter than usual. Pieces of burning paper were already singeing Mugen.<br>_This one's a trap. Amazing... I guess a basic spell is easier to manipulate than the more complicated ones._

"It's over!" Patchouli yelled while continuing to produce vortices. "This is it."

She closed her eyes as she channeled the additional energy from her excitement into her spell. "The victory I've been waiting for."

Mugen was in panic.  
><em>I doubt I can survive even a single hit from this upgraded "Agni Shine." I have no choice but to... Maybe she was hoping her spell can overpower mine. Anyway, this is all I can do.<em>  
>Having no reservations this time, she held up her card.<p>

"Embodiment 'Absolute Truth.'"

In an instant, Mugen felt a familiar force welling up inside of her. She was certain it was more than enough to overpower "Agni Shine" and defeat her opponent through the spell.

_It's really over this time, isn't it..._

A single beam of white laser launched from Mugen's palm, while other bullets wrapped around the laser's path.

_Drawing from the Dragon's abilities themselves... the spell is sure to hit._

Patchouli's figure was visible to Mugen now, since "Agni Shine" had been blasted through.

_It's sad..._

Patchouli could be seen starting to move out of the way.

_That her illusions are so easily broken._

Useless. A devastating blow. The laser beam had struck its mark without bending, nor Mugen having to move. That was the point of the spell. No one could alter the fact that it would hit, unless the Dragon itself decided otherwise.

Mugen's glazed eyes reflected the smoking ruins of the library.

_This difference in power is huge...  
>But… I shouldn't have expected otherwise, right?<em>

* * *

><p>An eerie silence hung over the aftermath of the battle. Mugen couldn't see through the smoke, but she knew any sort of retaliation was not happening. She should be more concerned for Patchouli's wellbeing at this moment. Yet, she secretly wished that the magician had managed to fight through the last spell. Perhaps, just perhaps... there may just be someone who could stand up against her. But what would that person be like? Did Mugen really think the librarian could have been this person?<p>

"Not... over."  
>The magician was being as stubborn as always. She was lying prone trying to reach for a spell book a few inches from her hand.<p>

"Don't push yourself," said Mugen as she stepped up. "I think the battle's over, though. I wouldn't want to hurt you anymore. Here."

Patchouli turned to face Mugen, who was offering a hand.

"I don't need assistance from an enemy."  
>She picked herself up and turned away haughtily.<br>"But anyway, I could have defeated you, you know. That was an even battle for the most part. But there's no way to avoid that last one you pulled. Isn't that cheating?"

Mugen nodded.  
>"But you know... I make the rules."<p>

At that moment, the doors at the entrance flew open. Sakuya and Remilia came rushing in.

"Ah, Patchy! We were so worried about you," said the maid as she flew over. "We couldn't find you in the library, and we searched the entire mansion, but you were nowhere to be found. We thought you had been kidnapped!"

Mugen almost thought that ironic statement to be funny.

"Why hello, Mugen," greeted Remilia. "Welcome to my mansion."

"You idiots are interrupting," said Patchouli. "We were in the midst of an important battle."

"Oh no, hey Mugen," said Sakuya. "How much trouble was she causing you?"

"No, Patchy was right," said Mugen contently.  
><em>So none of them know about me yet.<em>  
>"It was an intense and fun battle."<p>

"Ah, so you were almost defeated," said Remilia. "I guess it was fortunate for us to interrupt, am I correct?"  
>Somehow, Mugen had the feeling that Remilia was playing with her.<p>

Patchouli decided to change the direction of the conversation. "What are you all doing here... This is a library, for heaven's sake. Cut down on the noise."

_Oh, that's right_, realized Mugen. _It's getting late. Reimu and Marisa must be worried._

"Thanks for having me over," she bowed. "I'll make sure to visit sometime."

"I'll let you go under one condition," said Patchouli suddenly. "The next time you come here, we shall resume our battle. And you'll fight as hard, if not harder, than you did today."

She was pretty sure she heard correctly. But given the situation, there wasn't much one can do other than to agree.

"Yeah, it's a promise. But until then, we're friends, okay?"

"…Fair enough."

_Patchouli, who still seems to think she can defeat me, after witnessing my power. I never thought I'd meet anyone as stubborn as that. But for some reason, it feels comforting that someone would keep believing._

* * *

><p>"Hello there, Sanae. How's the cleaning coming along?"<p>

"This mess is all your fault, Kanako. Aren't you in charge everything up there?"

"Correct, but I had no control over this last storm."

"Well then it's got to be one of those seasonal rains before autumn. Or not… you control those too."

"Oh, I just remembered! The Tsukimi festival is coming soon. I've gotta make preparations. Shrine maidens have it hard, huh..."

"..."

"Kanako?"

"Do you know what I think? The last storm was caused by an incident. Even if I had no control over it, I could still read into it."

…  
>"...Well?"<p>

"Apparently, something huge has descended upon Gensokyo. Something whose spiritual potential is beyond any of our comprehension. One can only wonder about how it had managed to gather so much faith."

* * *

><p>AN: Er, did I stretch things too far? I feel like I'm repeatedly taunting canon Touhou as I write. Adding my own sly little rules here and there. But from where I've left off, I have almost no idea where to go, though I have a clear image of the story's ending. Whatever it is, there's still a _looong_ way to go from what's happening here. But first, let me know what you thought of the chapter!


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: The part about Kanako and Sanae in the previous chapter had the mistake of Sanae having powers of _fate_, instead of miracles, when fate should clearly have been reserved to Remilia. Sorry about the slip-up. I had it fixed in the revisions.

Disclaimer: I do not have rights to any part of the Touhou franchise.

* * *

><p>"How much longer am I doing this?" asked Marisa grumpily.<p>

The correct answer was "for the rest of the day," a response Marisa had already heard for dozens of times. Still, being stuck with the Hakurei shrine maiden for quite a while, the magician couldn't resist an opportunity to annoy Reimu to her heart's content. And knowing Reimu's indifferent attitude, Marisa was probably going to be let off early anyway.

Using her own broom, Marisa was sweeping the fallen leaves of early autumn off the shrine grounds. For quite a while, Marisa had adopted her broom as a form of expression, and was seldom seen without it. While it seems as if she had been using it as a tool for flying, it was merely for show, and was perhaps more of a tool for swagger. For it to be reduced to such a mundane task of cleaning was clearly humiliation at its worst.

After all, Marisa was being punished. In addition, splotches of dirt and tears on her clothing indicated that Reimu had just been giving her a rough time.

"You're really pushing it," said the shrine maiden, who was sipping tea under the shade of the shrine roof. "If you annoy me again, I guess I'll have to keep this for tomorrow." She held up Marisa's mini-Hakkero.

Marisa cursed under her breath as she continued sweeping. Why was Reimu so intent on punishing her anyway? Mugen did come back the day before, safe and sound. Heck, Marisa was doing Reimu a favor by running all the way back to the shrine and apologizing for losing track of Mugen. And to be fair, what harm could an asthmatic Patchouli have done to that girl?

"You're overreacting way too much," complained Marisa. "What did you think could've happened? That Mugen makes off with another chick? When you were just beginning to think about getting serious with her?"

Marisa knew she wasn't going to like Reimu's response to that. But being the devious prankster she was, she had taken precautions. Before the shrine maiden could respond, she was interrupted by a large crow that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. To be precise, it was a youkai that took the form of a crow, namely a tengu. But it wasn't here to stay. With a flap of its wings, it vanished into the distance, and in its place was a slip of paper that was fluttering down into Marisa's hand. Unlike your everyday mysterious messengers, there was no question as to where that crow came from, since everyone knew that the Youkai Mountain was synonymous with Tengu Country.

"What's this?"

_To Reimu:  
>This year's moon-viewing party will be held at my shrine tonight.<br>Everyone's invited, so bring Marisa and the others, and especially your new visitor.  
>There's also a surprise.<br>I have a lot of questions for you, Miss.  
>From the way things are going, there's definitely an incident happening.<br>And from what Kanako said, it seems to concern us too.  
>See you there!<br>Sanae_

Marisa looked up thoughtfully. "You know what this means… Right, Reimu?"

For a moment, Reimu blinked in hesitation. "Why… Why does Sanae know about Mugen? Oh, it's got to be Aya's doing!"  
>She glanced at her companion. "Hey, Marisa… if Sanae knows about this incident and wants to talk to us about it, this means she might know something, don't you think?"<p>

Marisa shot Reimu an angry look and threw down her broom. "No, it means I'm off the hook!"

* * *

><p>The rivers and waterfalls of Tengu Mountain had various wooden fortifications, presumably made by the kappa, to defend against the occasional waves of fairies. It appeared as if the fairies' chaotic behavior had yet to die down. Similar treehouse-like structures were also visible in the trees, built by the tengu. The result was entire villages appearing to be hovering above the ground or submerged in water. Such a spectacle was clearly visible thanks to the glow from the fairies, and especially the illusion-dispelling moonlight.<p>

"Hey Marisa," Alice said. "You better have a good reason for dragging me into this strange youkai village."

"It's perfectly normal," said Marisa. "And youkai villages are the best places for moon viewing. While you're at it, you can do some looting at the same time."

Normally, observers of the full moon were at the mercy of the ever-changing patterns of the weather. But here in Gensokyo, the wind and rain goddess Kanako made sure to remove any clouds that would block the view, since without the moon, the moon-viewing party would be much less attractive. She was counting on her visitors to arrive, after all.

"What's this…" Reimu had picked up an edition of the _Bunbunmaru_ newspaper from the ground and was shining her lantern at the headline.  
>"'Danmaku Beast Declares Herself Lover of Hakurei Shrine Maiden?'"<br>She sighed. "Do I need to clear things up for everyone now?"  
>Her gaze fell on the cover picture, which showed Mugen using her attack. Underneath, the caption read, "Those who dare harbor any sort of crush on Miss Hakurei will be on the receiving end."<p>

"Wow… Beautiful attack, isn't it?" Marisa commented.

"T-Thank you," said Mugen.

"Let's make an agreement… Whatever happens, don't put me on the receiving end, okay? Ow!"

Unfortunately for Marisa, Reimu was in quite a convenient location for a quick jab with the elbow.

"Well well… look who's arrived." All heads turned towards that voice. Aya Shameimaru was levitating above the river, fully geared as a reporter. "The shrine's right this way," she gestured up a path.

"I see."

"All righty, crowy."

Everyone in the group, save Reimu, headed towards Moriya Shrine.

"Stop playing innocent," snapped Reimu, tightening her grip on her gohei. "We all know you wrote that article on Mugen."

"Oh? And how would that argue against my innocence?" asked Aya.

"It's going to be a pain clearing things up for everyone," attacked Reimu. "I can really use one less reporter like you!"

"Hm? I was never under the impression that I was writing something wrong. In case you still don't understand, I think Mugen really seems to like you."

"Yeah, yeah…," muttered Reimu. "And now the entire world knows about this complete stranger even I know nothing about. Gah, this is such a pain… I might as well be taking someone down, and you just seem to be that person!" She began firing her orbs and charms.

"Accepted," said Aya as she began retaliating.

* * *

><p>The vast splendor of the Moriya Shrine was well-lit, even without the presence of lanterns. Wooden columns dotted the area, wrapped up with shrine decorations, and a nearby lake gave the shrine's inhabitants a feeling of peace. Picnic blankets and food lay sprawled over the area in front of the shrine, and the guests could be seen munching amidst quiet chatter.<p>

The Moriya Shrine looked a bit newer and neater than its Hakurei counterpart although both shrines had very long histories. Perhaps it was due to the fact that the resident deity of the Moriya Shrine itself lived with the shrine maiden, giving the maiden a tangible reason to fancy up the place out of respect.

"Ah, Reimu. It's about time."

Sanae Kochiya, the Moriya shrine maiden, was clad in blue and, like Reimu, wielded a gohei. Behind her stood the resident goddess, Kanako Yasaka, with her signature rope circle shimenawa and sleek hairstyle.

"I had to teach a certain tengu a lesson. And what's with this party? I thought you'd have more guests." Clambering behind Reimu was a slightly dazed Aya.

"To be honest, this isn't as much a party as it is an informal meeting," explained Kanako. "Please, help yourself."

"Ah, thanks." They got themselves seated and Reimu made for the nearest food item, which in this case, was dango.

"So, Mugen and Reimu, right? How are things between the two of you?"

Reimu swallowed and cleared her throat. "I guess it's time I clear things up. Mugen and I aren't in any sort of relationship whatsoever. Is that clear?"

"Huh? But the stuff in Aya's newspaper…," started Sanae.

"Is true," finished Marisa. Then she made a deep scowl. "Explain yourself, Mugen! What has Reimu done to deserve your love?"

Mugen glanced helplessly at Reimu, who folded her arms and looked away.

"Kanako, Sanae… I know you're sort of new to Gensokyo, but I thought you'd know this already: The worst mistake you can make here is trusting Marisa. And Aya too."

"That was cruel!" wailed Aya. "I am but a humble journalist. You wouldn't think that, right? Sanae? Kanako?"

"Ditto," agreed Marisa. "And to think that I've been your best friend for so long. Looks like I was right to invest in this youkai here, eh?" She wrapped an arm around Alice.

"Yeah that's right," responded Alice. "Looks like I'm stuck with Marisa, whether I like it or not."

"Hey, Reimu," Sanae cut in. "I wouldn't mind too much if you invest in a fellow shrine maiden like me."

"You guys from Moriya shrine already gave me enough trouble," Reimu replied dismissively. "And you wish it were that simple, Alice. Marisa and I had known each other since long ago."

"Oi, I never thought I'd see the day when two girls fight over me," said Marisa.

"Ah, can it be?" Aya inquired, holding her pen at the ready. "Is an epic battle for love going to erupt in this peaceful setting?"

Reimu sighed. "Someone confiscate that pen."

"That's enough, girls!"

Everyone stopped talking upon hearing Kanako's authoritative voice. "The main issue tonight is this girl here." She gestured at Mugen. "Let's not ignore her story. So, young lady. Any comments so far?"

Mugen froze in her tracks. Having been casted into the spotlight during a social gathering, it seemed like the safest path at a time like this would be to carefully win everyone's approval.

"I wouldn't think I favor anyone above everyone else," she said simply. "After all, I've only been here for a few days." She looked around, meeting the eyes of her companions for the first time. "But I'm glad that that everyone's been so kind to me. I only wish I knew where to go from here…"

"We're missing the issue here," said Kanako sternly. "Who are you? And why has Gensokyo become chaotic?"

"…Well… that's because…"

"It's because the barrier to the Outside is broken," said Reimu. "And Gensokyo's about to be swallowed up by the Outside."

"Hm? Why's that?" asked Sanae.

"No idea," lied Marisa. She winked at Reimu, who acknowledged her with a nod. It was best to keep Mugen's, ah, situation a secret as of now. Kanako and Sanae helplessly looked at each other and shrugged.

For a while now, Aya's pen had been moving vigorously across her notepad. Suddenly, the tengu caught Reimu's glare and, grinning, she quickly stashed away her materials, most likely due to the fear of their being confiscated.

"Oops, it's really getting late now," she said. "I have to make curfew! My boss is really strict, you know. Good night!" And she disappeared without so much as a light gust of wind.

After the gang had finished up the rest of the food, everyone lay on their backs, preoccupied only with giving the night sky a blank stare. A minute of silence, with everyone savoring this moment of peace. But naturally, it was Marisa who elected to break the silence.

"Ah, I'm sick of everyone being all sensitive over each other. If only there's a boy around, then there won't be any problems."

"Now that's just nonsense," said Alice.

"A… boy?" asked Mugen.

"Did the moon make you go mad?" asked Reimu. "That just makes things even more sensitive! Plus, who his right mind would get anywhere close to you?"

"Huh? Since when did I want a guy in his right mind?"

"Good question!" retorted Reimu.

"But I'm wondering, why do I hardly run into guys?" asked Sanae.

"Well Yukari did mention how here and the Outside are different societies," explained Reimu. "If you look closer, there are guys here. It's just that them and us don't mix. Here, since everything's pretty much combat-oriented, the guys probably think we aren't worth picking on…"

"Are you kidding?" asked Alice.

"The sad, sad truth…" said Marisa. "We all know a man's pride means everything to him. Which makes it all the more fun whenever I blow up a guy."

"Speaking of guys… I happen to know one here," admitted Sanae.

"Wha-?" "Really?"

"In fact he happens to be right here with us." she continued. "I did say there was going to be a surprise, right? He seems to be really shy, though, and I wish he would come out to join us."

* * *

><p>"We're coming in," announced Sanae after knocking at the door to her home. Then she slid the door open. Gathered behind her were Kanako, Reimu, Marisa, Alice, and Mugen.<p>

The interior of the Moriya living quarters was a bit more spacious than Reimu's home, as one would expect, given that Reimu was a bit lacking on the number of gods residing with her. A few unfamiliar objects also filled the room, objects that presumably came from the Outside.

"You're kidding!"

"Well, would ya look at this."

A young man, indeed, was seated in the far corner of the room, reading the latest issue of the _Bunbunmaru_. His teenage gray hairstyle, spectacles, and blue and black garb were immediately recognizable to Reimu and Marisa.

"Oh dear me," he said, glancing up. "So the two last people I would ever want to see can just simply show up like that."

Reimu and Marisa's attention, however, was not focused on the new guest. Instead, by now they were hammering Sanae with questions and comments.

"W… What kind of black magic is this?"

"Marisa, I have a feeling of being dragged into some kind of unwanted mess," said Alice angrily.

"So, someone did invent a teleportation spell," said Marisa matter-of-factly. "Because there's simply no way you could have convinced Kourin to leave his den."

Kourin, of course, being the nickname of human-youkai hybrid Mr. Rinnosuke Morichika, who ran a shop called Kourindou.

"No, no, it's not my fault!" said Sanae helplessly. "He was the one who wanted to come over."

"_Eh?_"

"Why don't we all take a seat," suggested Kanako. "It appears we have a lot of explaining to do."

"No," said Reimu, turning towards Rinnosuke. "Why don't we let _him_ explain?"

* * *

><p>"First of all, I must say I am quite disappointed in the two of you," began the half-youkai. "As you may have already known, I'm quite interested in the world known as the Outside. And, if these fellows of Moriya Shrine haven't been lying, they hail exactly from that place. Ah, if only you had introduced me to them sooner… Speaking of which, I see some new faces."<p>

"Ah, the girl with the doll fetish is Alice and this harmless human with silky white hair is Mugen," said Marisa. "Ow."

"Nice to meet you," said Alice as she pried off a doll which had stabbed Marisa in the back.

"Likewise. Now then, without further ado… There's something strange about the recent turn of events. My shop, for instance, is overloaded with items. And as you know, most of the items that drift through the border end up in my shop one way or another. Therefore, it appears as if crossing the border has become easier by several magnitudes. You know what this means. A journey to the Outside might not be so far-fetched after all."

"No, that's wrong. Going to the Outside won't do you any good!" Reimu cut in.

"Hm?"

"Nah, just ignore her," said Marisa. "Go on, Kourin."

Rinnosuke sighed, noticing Reimu glaring at Marisa. "I'm getting the sense that I'm headed in a completely wrong direction, and you just want to entertain yourself by letting me continue. Well, I guess that will do for the explaining. Now, here are my questions: Who might this girl be, in the cover story of _Bunbunmaru_, and who, apparently, is sitting opposite from me? Mugen, is it?"

Mugen shifted gaze and nodded, after her eyes met Rinnosuke's for a moment.

"And are you, by any means, connected to this… incident, for the lack of a better word," he continued.

"Well I'm glad the discussion is actually on track, for once," Kanako said. "Does anyone have answers?"

"Um, actually," Mugen said. "I'm the reason the Hakurei Border has gotten weak." She shot a glance at Reimu, who indifferently nodded her approval.  
>"From what I've heard, a strong force once resided inside the Hakurei Border and gave it its strength. As of now, this force takes residence inside me. And people refer to it as… Dragon."<p>

"Ah, everyone's favorite sea creature, which so happens to among the highest-order gods," said Rinnosuke, as if he was discussing a fairytale. "I feel honored. Pardon my curiosity, but what's your opinion on journeying to the Outside?"

"Well, Yukari said…"

Rinnosuke's face paled upon mention of her name. In his previous encounters with the border youkai, he found himself a reluctant witness of her expansive powers and whimsical behavior.

"It went something like 'if a Denizen of Illusion has contact with Outsiders, it will disappear and be forgotten,' or something like that," Reimu finished.

"I've never heard anything like this!" exclaimed Alice.

"But that's…" Sanae started.

"Unfortunately true," said Kanako. "The people of the Outside lack faith. Have you ever wondered why I rarely show myself to the public? It's only when I'm sure a person has enough faith that I can safely reveal myself to that soul. Countless gods have lost their existence this way. Of course, there's no proof of this ever happening, but the probability is so large it's considered a fact."

"Ah, this might be a problem," said Rinnosuke hesitantly. "But why would this happen?"

"It has something to do with the Outside having only science, and no magic," said Marisa.

"Only science and no magic," he echoed. "Magic meaning, of course, spiritual power. So the mysterious items and tools I have at my shop… are products of pure science. It must be troublesome for those who can't distinguish between the two. And I would guess that the Dragon is behind this situation."

"Boy, he's good," said Marisa.

"After all, there must be a reason it is the highest ranking god in a land full of magic," he reasoned. "Ah, would you look at the time! I must get some rest, now. And it appears I have a lot of studying to do. It's been a pleasure." He rose and bowed slightly.

"A pleasure having you over," said Kanako.

"Come visit again!" said her shrine maiden as Rinnosuke arrived at the exit with his belongings.

"Wait!"

Mugen's unanswered question had finally found its way out.  
>"Sorry for holding you back, but… I'm wondering if you know… Why has the Dragon chosen a human as its container?"<p>

"That's a complicated question," said the half-youkai after some thought. "The answer isn't very obvious, but here's my guess. Let me start by asking a question of my own. What would you expect the personality of a Dragon to be?"

"A Dragon doesn't have a personality," answered Reimu. "Yukari said so. Its power is so immense that having emotions would be too much for everyone to handle. And it's more like a set of machinery than a sentient being."

"Yes, I would imagine so. And at the same time, one would expect a high-ranking god like the Dragon to do whatever high-ranking things like to do. In this case, it would be judgment."

"Judgment? Done by the Dragon?" asked Reimu.

"Oh-ho ho! I'm getting scared already," said Marisa.

"We'll see how you're gonna react when your life is endangered by the Dragon," retorted Alice.

"Well, if you are a god, and your job is to judge the world, you're not going to get much done by hiding inside of a border forever," said Rinnosuke. "And also, a human most definitely is more capable of experiencing emotions than a set of machinery, correct?"

"Y-Yeah," answered Mugen shakily.

"Ah, I'm glad my words are finally understood for once," said Rinnosuke, upon realizing that everyone looked deep in thought. "But do keep in mind that everything is mere conjecture. You shouldn't take it for granted. Well, I must get going."

"Yeah, it's about time for a good, long rest," said Reimu as she rose groggily to leave, with everyone following suit.

Mugen, however, was still thinking about Rinnosuke's words.  
><em>Judgment? Through experiencing emotions?<em>  
><em>Does this mean my own personality will determine the fate of Gensokyo?<em>

* * *

><p>Celebrations were underway in the Human Village. The numerous lanterns and stands lit up the area, seeming to leave little in the way for the villagers to enjoy the full moon. Many of them, however, still sat out in the balconies and decks to enjoy the night sky despite this. On one of these decks sat a nonhuman duo, one of whom was under a curse involving the form of a were-hakutaku, and the other an eternal being.<p>

"You don't suppose that Kaguya is plotting something behind my back, do you?" asked Fujiwara no Mokou. Dressed in a singed shirt and long, dark red pants, the violet-haired human was known for her immortality, much like the moon princess she was referring to.  
>"It is the night of the full moon, after all."<p>

"Don't be ridiculous," answered Keine Kamishirasawa, the were-hakutaku. Since it was this time of the month, she had taken her beastly were-hakutaku form and was now clad in a flashy green dress and had two horns on her head. "It's nights like these that your moon princess is most fearful. You know how she feels about those Lunarians who could take her away anytime."

This moon princess was none other than Kaguya Houraisan, an immortal lunarian against whom Mokou bore a deep grudge.

"But there's something I ought to show you," Keine continued. Using a pen and with one full stroke, she carefully traced out a pattern onto a scroll. "Look familiar?"

"Yes, indeed. It's the danmaku pattern I've seen this in today's newspaper."

"No, I'm referring to something of the past. Think back one to two centuries."

Narrowing her eyes, Mokou focused her gaze on the pattern Keine had drawn out. What significant event had happened in the mentioned years? She closed her eyes, trying to replay something from her memory.

All of a sudden, it struck like a bolt of lightning. Quite literally. Rain was pouring like an eternal waterfall, and already, a churning sea had begun forming on the once-dry lands. Houses were ripped off their foundations by rogue tornadoes. In the blackened sky, one could barely make out a certain shape. A shape that coiled and twisted back and forth, up and down, left and right, a being that came to be known as the Dragon.

And to Mokou's disbelief, this shape now took the form of a danmaku attack. The twists and coils, albeit composed of a dense group of bullets, now had a much deeper meaning than being just a simple attack.

"I know that pattern… it's supposed to represent the Dragon from which every form of spiritual power in Gensokyo is based."

"In other words, someone able to channel the power of Gensokyo's highest god walks amongst us," said Keine. "It's impossible to fathom the amount of power this god has. Mokou, do you know where I'm trying to get at?"

Reading the mind of a scholar was a difficult task, but Mokou had little doubt as to what Keine was referring to. As a close friend of the were-hakutaku, and as an immortal whose keen senses had been sharpened through thousands of years of combat, Mokou was lucky enough to have arrived at her realization. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Can it be? Does this god dominate over… _immortality_?"

* * *

><p>AN: And finally, this latest chapter is _finished!_ I'll have to admit, writing a Touhou fanfic is no easy task, especially when I'm trying to be descriptive but not redundant, adhere to the canon while satisfying my own twisted Touhou-verse, avoid OOCness, and last but not least, make the story interesting. I think I sort of blew it with the Rinnosuke scene. In Curiosities of Lotus Asia (for those of you who don't know, this is a printed work narrated by Rinnosuke) everything he confidently states is supposed to be blatantly wrong in a funny way. But wait—he's actually _correct_ in this fic? Well, I figured I'd just have Rinnosuke admit that he was guessing. Probably not the best way to fix the issue.

And ah… group stargazing. I had to think back to that time when I went on my high school's camping trip while writing it. And boy, conversations between four+ people are freaking hard to write! Giving everyone a chance to have their say (besides Mugen, of course. lol) can lead to pretty funny results at times.

But I've said enough. See you next time!


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not have rights to any part of the Touhou franchise.

* * *

><p>It was almost midnight, with the mountains and forests painted a bright blue hue by the full moon. Basking in this very moonlight was a youkai who was far too preoccupied to enjoy the sky. To her, the full moon and the weakening of the Hakurei Border only served as pretext for her actions, and she was not going to let go of the opportunity offered only during that night.<p>

There were two tasks currently in Yukari Yakumo's mind. The first was gathering more energy to power the temporary Hakurei Border. The second was, to her dismay, asking for help. The first had already been fulfilled to the best of her ability, as she had almost total control of all the borders within Gensokyo. Of course, there were quite a few downsides to draining all the borders of their energy to feed the one that really matters, but it should be worth the trouble.

"Master. Should I go have a look?" The shikigami stared anxiously at the closed border across the moon's reflection on a bowl of water—a little portal to the moon.

Yukari opened her eyes. "Your job is to stay hidden until the Lunarians arrive. Don't worry, I'm sure they'll find a way here. I did give them a few hints…"

"What are the moon-people like?" asked Chen.

Ran hesitated. The events of that day were blurry, and it was hard to describe exactly what kind of power was wielded by the Lunarian they had met. Whatever it was, the results were both Yukari and Ran bound up, at the mercy of the Lunarian. Although Yukari had meant everything to be an act of deceit, there was no questioning of the Lunarian's strength.

"Everything's going to be all right," said Yukari. "Don't forget to behave yourselves."

"I'm not sure this is a good idea. The Lunarians weren't too happy to see us the last time," Ran pointed out. The shikigami recalled the events from their last journey to the moon. Yukari did mention that the power of the Lunarians is exactly what she was counting on. Yukari herself was no match against the Lunarians, a fact as clear as day. Thinking of the sheer power of the Watatsuki sisters was enough to make Ran slightly doubt Yukari's decision-making, instead leaving her to wonder about Yukari's true intentions. Ran took a deep breath before asking her next question.

"Master. Forgive me for asking, but what is it that you're really after?"

Yukari glanced over at her shikigami. At other times, Yukari's expression would usually be unreadable. This time, Ran couldn't help being startled by the grim look on her master's face. "Well, simply the safety of Gensokyo."

"…I see." The shikigami had known her master well enough to know she was not lying. Reluctantly, Ran continued her ritual with Chen to enhance Yukari's border magic. But the border youkai paid them no heed, her gaze unfocused. For a moment, Ran almost thought her master was finally having second thoughts.

* * *

><p>It was a strange feeling, getting lost. While a traveler might recognize a specific route clearly, merely a few minutes of lowered attentiveness was enough for someone to end up somewhere one had never been to.<p>

Reimu Hakurei stopped in her tracks. The path down Youkai Mountain didn't look familiar. It was a given that getting lost at night is nothing out of the ordinary. However, Reimu had visited Moriya Shrine enough times to know the route well. Besides, the path before her was very well illuminated by the full moon as well as the occasional fairy. But adding to her confusion, the path she was on seemed vaguely familiar.

"Hey, Marisa. We haven't passed the waterfall yet, right?"

There was no answer. She spun around and shown her lantern at the area behind her. "Marisa…?" Both her companions were nowhere to be seen.

Was it a prank?

No. If it were, Marisa would have made sure Reimu noticed something a long time ago. But more importantly… what was this place?

Flying higher to break above the trees, Reimu could see a bit of light coming from the distance, seeming to come from the top of some kind of tall slope.

Then she stopped dead.

There was no mistaking it. Not too far ahead of her were the stone steps of her very own Hakurei Shrine. How did she make it here so quickly? For a moment, the shrine maiden could only gawk at the path ahead of her. Then she shook her head and continued towards the shrine. The most that could've happened was that she dozed off during the journey or something similar. At the instant Reimu reached the bottom of the stone steps, she was struck with yet another question.

Now… what about Mugen?

* * *

><p>"The smell seems to come from here. Hm… how did I make it up the mountain so quickly?"<p>

Mugen turned at the sound of that voice. It belonged to a woman, although sounding too beast-like to be normal. Although the words were spoken clearly, the speaker only intended to mutter.

"…Reimu? Marisa?" Mugen looked around, but no one was there. Her legs suddenly felt weak.

A waterfall could be heard in the distance, and the well-lit path towards Moriya Shrine lay open behind her, and the dim lighting of the shrine could be seen through the leaves. If she could just head back to where she came from, they wouldn't mind having her over, would they?

"Found you!"

Something jumped in front of Mugen, cutting her off from the path.

Gasping, Mugen reached for her spell card, but it was too late. The stranger already had both of Mugen's wrists in her grasp.

"This isn't anything personal," muttered Keine. "Let's make this quick."

Then she looked Mugen in the eye, and muttered an incantation. After a few seconds, she carefully let go of Mugen, making sure there was no more resistance.

"Well, that was easy," said Keine. "I'm surprised how little memory you had."

At first, Mugen didn't answer her. Her gaze was now unfocused as she began to speak softly.

"And here it is, a hakutaku… and of great intellect too. But wherefore the human form? Has it forgotten the beastly creation bestowed upon this world?"

"I used to be a normal human. Anyway, we have to hurry," said Keine as she got ready to leap into the air.

"It takes its gift for granted, this ungrateful hakutaku," Mugen interrupted. "Granted, there is no reason it would bother to learn of the root of its transformation. It is referred to as 'DNA.'"

"Are you insulting my intelligence… There's much that I can create from what I already know, and there's much that I've already created."

"It is no match for me," Mugen continued. "Whatever story it can create… abides by my laws. Suffice it to say that everything it can ever do, I most certainly can."

Keine sighed. Normally, a person with her own history hidden from herself would end up being a helpless shell. But this case was different. Maybe hiding this girl's history from herself wasn't such a good idea. As it appeared, Keine now had to deal with the cocky entity that was already inside the girl, which is the Dragon itself. It was about time to point out the obvious.

"Just look at yourself," Keine said in an annoyed tone. "You're not as mighty as you think, _human_."

Mugen's eyes widened, as if she was just insulted in the worst possible way. Slowly, she dipped her head and examined her hands and feet, all of which belonged to a helpless mortal. She could also tell that her magical abilities were severely weakened as the result of having this body.

"That's…"

That was it. Simply knowing and acknowledging that one is a human was, itself, the most humbling of experiences in Gensokyo. Maybe Keine should have been more careful to not hide this fact from Mugen in the first place. The were-hakutaku could only wait impatiently during the silence that followed.

"Where… where am I? Who are you?" Mugen finally asked.

"You don't need to know. Just follow me," commanded Keine, who now wore a slight grin of victory. She leapt into the air. Mugen followed without question, although staggering a little in midair, as if she had forgotten how to fly.

* * *

><p>"Mokou, I have your new weapon," said Keine as they landed before the immortal. "I present you the Dragon."<p>

It was well past midnight, and the Bamboo Forest was beginning to darken from the moon's gradual descent.

"Is this really it?" asked Mokou with uncertainty as she walked closer to get a closer look. Mugen now looked as defeated, as emotionless as she had always been.

"If you're going to use it on your moon princess, you better start thinking now," suggested Keine. "My powers only last until sunrise. By then, I won't be strong enough to hide someone's entire collection of memories."

"So that's what you've done to her."

Not long later, they were outside estate of Eientei, in which the Lunarian princess Kaguya resided. The building itself was not quite as tall as one would expect, its primary purpose, after all, being to remain hidden inside the bamboo forest. With that said, Eientei seemed to cover a huge amount of area, and one could picture the maze-like halls in the mansion that seemed to go on forever.

"This manipulation of truth, you say," Mokou said. "I still need to think of the best way to use it to kill Kaguya."

But they had no time to think any further. Standing at the entrance of Eientei was a female figure with light purple hair and the long ears of a rabbit.

"Huh, they don't appear to be emissaries from the moon," she muttered.

"Hello, Reisen. Kindly do me a favor and call your princess here."

Reisen took a closer look at her visitors. She sighed.

"What is it this time? Did you get in another fight with the princess?"

Reisen knew she had no stake in the matter. She didn't know what good came out of stalling Mokou. Perhaps it was for the benefit of the princess? But no matter what Reisen decided to do, Kaguya, as well as the enemy standing before her, were immortals. Nothing Reisen could ever do could change that. Before Reisen could change her mind and step aside to welcome the visitors, a new voice could be heard.

"I'm here."

Stepping out of the shadows was a figure dressed in a lavender blouse and a long red dress. She had long black hair and also wore a small grin that looked just as eternal as she is. Upon contact with the light from the full moon, Kaguya Houraisan seemed to glow, perhaps a characteristic unique to Lunarians. Escorting her was another Lunarian, this one with shorter, silver hair and a red and blue garb, holding a bow. On her head was a dark-colored nurse's cap.

"So they are not Lunarians after all," said Kaguya with a hint of disappointment. "We got all worried for nothing, Eirin."

"Well, then. I guess it's not my concern, is it?" asked Eirin. She turned and left. "Try not to cause too much of a mess."

"Same here." Reisen followed suit.

After the gate had been closed, the only ones left were the two immortals along with Keine and Mugen.

"Feeling proud, Kaguya?" asked Mokou under her breath. "Afraid that I'd think lightly of you? If I see your friends being made to fight for you?"

"They left by their own choice," dismissed Kaguya. "Aren't my people good friends of yours? I'd think they would hate to be dragged into this. But I'm surprised. I wouldn't expect you to drag others along as well."

Mokou smiled slightly upon remembering her new weapon. "In any case, you are going to die tonight." With that, her feet left the ground and she hovered in the air. Suddenly, a bright sphere appeared directly in front of her which began to spew out red, blue, and yellow charms in the direction of Kaguya.

"But I'll still be brought back to life," said Kaguya before being showered with Mokou's attack.

"Keine, take the Dragon and hide," yelled Mokou. "I'll think of a good way to use it while I fight."

Keine shrugged and led Mugen into the forest. Just as that was happening, there came a huge burst of energy from the other side.

"Impossible Request 'Dragon's Necklace.'"

Mokou was forced to stop her attack to dodge the incoming beams and bullets. With her eyes wide with rage, she screamed, "You dare use an Impossible Request on _me_?"

"I don't see why not. This isn't the first time, after all." Kaguya's smile turned into a sneer. "And each time, you become just as angry."

Too busy dodging to use an actual attack, Mokou resorted to blasting a thin beam of charms in the direction of Kaguya, hoping that it hits.

"Yes, use your Impossible Request. This way, I can properly avenge my father, and my entire family!" With a burst of fire, Mokou activated her spell card. "Limiting Edict 'Ihakasa's Moon Curse.'" The attacks from Mokou's spell overrode Kaguya's attacks, and the bullets from Kaguya's Impossible Request vanished upon contact with the new spell.

"Oops. Looks like you couldn't fulfill that one," said Kaguya. "Where's my next suitor?" Mokou, however, had grown tired of Kaguya's jokes a long time ago, so she gave a scowl in response.

The moon princess was now surrounded by a variety of bullets that slowly curled up towards her. Red knives were closing in from behind, while blue knives and green bullets approached from the front. Kaguya, however, did not show any fear. Having fought Mokou for many centuries, she knew exactly what to expect, and was used to the damage from her attacks.

A slight pause ensued after Mokou finished her attack. Both combatants were standing on the ground, slightly battered, but their injuries had already healed almost fully.

"You know," Kaguya began their ceasefire talk. "I highly doubt this has anything to do with your father, or your family. How can they care about anything? They're gone forever. They don't exist. This is between you… and me…" She gestured at each of them in emphasis. "Shouldn't you know by now? But don't worry. You have an eternity ahead of you to figure that out."

"It doesn't matter… You're the one who's responsible, and you're the one who's going to pay!"

"It's true that your father didn't fulfill all my requests," continued Kaguya. "But he's resting in peace right now. And you could have been resting with him if it weren't for the Hourai Elixir. Now, you're damned to suffer forever."

That was right. Mokou had not always been immortal. In fact, she had been a human who was as mortal as any other before drinking the elixir of immortality. But those days had passed more than a millennium ago. But is this suffering? Mokou had almost completely forgotten what it felt like as a mortal, free from the relentless grasp of eternity, and could only imagine how it would feel to truly die. Mokou had always taken her immortality for granted. She was also sure Kaguya had done the same, and she was not short of flaunting this trait of hers whenever someone asked her about it.

"This isn't suffering!" Mokou finally said. "This is life. It's what living means to both of us!"

For a moment, the two of them gazed deep into each other's eyes, although they stood far from each other.

"I'm so glad you drank the elixir, Mokou," admitted Kaguya with relief. "I don't know where I would be without you. You, on the other hand… You seem to know where you would be without me."

"Huh?"

"That Dragon you've kept hiding," Kaguya pointed out. "Have you forgotten about it?"

Mokou was startled for a moment. But then, she should have known how perceptive her opponent had always been.

"The manipulation of truth," continued Kaguya softly. "That is what the Dragon of Gensokyo embodies. It's the sole reason why Gensokyo is able to exist. For it to be under someone's control, one can simply refer to it as… The power to grant wishes."

By now, Mokou paid no heed to Kaguya's mumblings. She had called in her two companions, and now had Mugen by her side.

"Why hello, Dragon. Why the human form? Oh, I see… it must be how Mokou must have gotten you under control."

Mugen didn't answer. Kaguya, however, didn't take heed of this.

"Now without delay, do what you must. I won't stop you, see?" Gently, but quickly, Kaguya laid out all her spell cards before her, then she made them burst into flames.

"Those are amusing last words. Why are you so eager to lose?" asked Mokou.

"Well, since you control the Dragon, there's practically nothing I can do," answered Kaguya indifferently. "Whatever you're doing is bound to happen sooner or later. I've already had my fun for tonight." She let out a big yawn. "Now, hurry."

Mokou hesitated. What exactly was she going to do? What truth was she going to make the Dragon manipulate?

"Hey, Mokou," Keine whispered as she came up to them. "It's almost daybreak. Let's just get this over with."

"Would you like my help?" asked Kaguya. "How about making me a mortal? That shouldn't be a problem. Right, Dragon?"

Mugen shook her head slowly, as if she was unsure.

"I was always a mortal to begin with," Kaguya continued. "This immortality you've known all along? It is but a lie."

"St-Stop!" yelled Mokou as she leapt in front of Mugen to shield her from Kaguya.

Complete silence. Mokou could not help but feel torn. As of now, she could only keep her back towards her enemy to hide the look on her face.

"I know what you're doing," Mokou said carefully. "You're trying to become mortal, so I would know you are going to die one day."

"I don't know if I can make that happen," Mugen said so softly that Mokou could barely make it out.

"No, you mustn't!" Mokou turned to glare at Kaguya, who was trying to muffle giggles beneath her sleeves. There was no mistaking it. Kaguya knew Mokou couldn't bear to live knowing that Kaguya's days were numbered, nor could she bear to live eternally without her.

In the past, both of them had killed each other thousands of times, and both of them had endured pain and death like it was nothing. The idea of afflicting permanent death to her enemy, once sought after by Mokou, now appeared as unfamiliar as much as it was terrifying.

"Oh, but you know, Auntie Mokou is also a mortal," Kaguya said, addressing Mugen. "As mortal as any normal human. Hey, look! Doesn't she look very much like a normal human?"

"Stop…" Mokou didn't want that to happen either. Being a mortal would mean that she had been dead more than a thousand years ago. To Mokou, suddenly becoming mortal would amount to committing suicide.

Kaguya stopped speaking, suddenly realizing how severe were the results of what she just suggested. True to her own words, she had no idea as to where she would be without Mokou. Perhaps it was best to leave things as they were after all…

"I've had enough of this," Mokou declared. "We're stopping here for now." She turned to leave.

"But the Dragon…" Keine protested.

"Give it back its history, and then we're leaving this place before the Dragon lays it to waste," said Mokou matter-of-factly. Keine had no choice but to follow.

The two of them were now gliding through the bamboo forest without a second glance at the estate behind them.

"Looking back, I don't think the Dragon could actually do any of those things," Mokou reflected.

Keine frowned in annoyance. "That's because we didn't really understand its powers to begin with."

* * *

><p>It took a minute for Mugen's eyes to adjust to the darkness. A faint pale glow seemed to emanate from the object in front of her. Squinting, she recognized the figure before her as the moon princess who had been escorting her.<p>

"Where am I? I really need to head back…" Mugen looked around, but couldn't make out an exit.

"You won't be going back anytime soon," replied Kaguya.

"What is this place?" Mugen demanded as she began to edge away from Kaguya.

"To put it simply, this is my room, which is supposedly located inside of Eientei. But we're physically not inside Gensokyo anymore. We're actually inside a little world I've created." Kaguya giggled. "I'm very fortunate to be a Lunarian. You see, Dragons are originally from the moon. As such, the spirit inside of you hails from one of the many Lunar Seas. It follows that we Lunarians have developed powers that help us tame those of your kind."

"Tame… us?" Surely enough, Mugen could tell that she was devoid of any spiritual energy. Casting spells had now become impossible, and even the Dragon's inherent abilities, although Mugen knew close to nothing about them, seemed to have almost vanished.

"Oh, don't worry. It's nothing personal, really. I'm just keeping you here to make sure Mokou doesn't become rash and try again with what she just tried to do tonight… for as long as she lives."

Slowly, the news dawned onto Mugen.

"That's right," laughed Kaguya. "You're staying here with me… forever."

* * *

><p>It didn't take long for Yukari to notice the thin piece of clothe that was unraveling from the full moon. It touched down directly in front of the steps of the shrine, and the part that made contact with the ground was as wide as the stone steps beneath it. Before long, tiny figures could be seen approaching from the far end.<p>

To conceal her excitement, Yukari nudged her shikigami as gently as she could. "Wake up. Wake up, my dears. They're finally here."

* * *

><p>AN: I probably should have done this ages ago, but my (tentative) story plan is finished! Basically, it's a list of events from beginning to end, which is probably going to be changed every now and then as I write... but for now, that's restricted area for you, readers! Ah… sure feels nice pretending that you're interested in my story.

As for the Dragon's powers, can anyone guess what they really are? Well, for starters, this chapter sort of revealed what _cannot_ be done.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not have rights to any part of the Touhou franchise.

* * *

><p>Reimu was just about to backtrack back towards Youkai Mountain when suddenly, the whole area lit up. A bright light seemed to be shining from the moon, illuminating the shrine grounds. Walking down this sliver of light, which upon closer look appeared to have wrinkles like some kind of clothe, were shadowy figures, but Reimu could make out the rabbit ears that stuck out of the heads of the creatures.<p>

A bit of annoyance tugged at a vessel in her head and the shrine maiden hurriedly flew over the stone steps.

"Hey, I didn't invite anyone over!"

Reimu froze. She was now face to face with an old nemesis from the moon. To say nemesis was a bit of a misnomer, given that the very Watatsuki no Yorihime standing before her had systematically defeated her along with three other companions during their last encounter at the moon.

"Welcome, welcome to Gensokyo!" said Yukari as she stood up and bowed repeatedly. "Watatsuki no Toyohime, Yorihime."

The Lunarian commander appeared no different than Reimu remembered. She had silvery, wavy hair tied up in a ponytail. Her young, youthful face twitched with annoyance. Standing close by was Yorihime's older sister, Toyohime, who had flowing hair and wore a plain, simple hat. Her expression was calmer than her sister's.

"What?" asked Yorihime. "I went through the trouble of coming all the way here to just be told I'm not invited?"

"Pay no heed to that delusional shrine maiden," Yukari chimed in. "I was the one who called for you."

"Huh? Yukari…" Reimu gave the youkai a confused look.

"I do hope you have a good reason for doing so," said Toyohime, while slowly toying with a paper fan. "If this is all but a prank, well then I'm afraid I'll have to give you a very nasty punishment. Believe me, it really isn't worth wasting so much on you." She closed her fan.

"Yukari, right? I believe you are the de facto ruler of this 'Gensokyo?'" asked Yorihime as she stepped past Reimu.

"As much as I am the ruler of your very Lunar Capital."

"What…" Yorihime clenched her teeth in exasperation, already tired of Yukari's nonsensical metaphors. "If you're just another rotten Earth creature, then what gives you the right to deliver _this_?" She held out a sheet of paper, which read:

_Greetings, my Lunarian enemies!  
>I'm very sorry to tell you this, but the entire realm of magic is at stake.<br>Yes, I'm afraid this means the Lunar Capital might vanish from existence, all of you might suddenly become mortal and die, and worst of all… your peach trees might not produce any more delicious fruit!  
>Come down here to Hakurei Shrine, quick!<br>You won't be disappointed.  
>If you don't know where that is, there should be a gap right at the middle of the Lunar Palace's bathhouse.<br>See you soon._

For a moment, the piece of paper shook slightly between Yorihime's trembling fingers. Finally, it burst into flames.

"Just how many times have you been peeking?" asked Yorihime, her voice now a few octaves higher than before. Reimu now had her back to the group, crouching to hide her laughter.

"I personally think the part about the peach trees is quite frightening," said Toyohime, looking worried.

"You shouldn't get worked up over something like this," Yukari said. "I'm just a humble youkai who can only manipulate borders. That should be simple enough for you to understand. It's your job to make sure rotten Earth creatures don't get their way."

Yorihime continued to glare silently at Yukari.

"To answer your question, I never had the chance to use that gap," continued Yukari. "I just needed to get your attention somehow. So my crow servant went and put my gap at the most effective place, along with delivering the note. I knew you would be too suspicious to go through my gap, but at least you had a guide. In any case, everything seemed to have gone perfectly, isn't that right?"

By now, a little army of moon rabbits had gathered in front of the shrine, accompanied by a few Lunarian guards. Many of them were whispering amongst each other, no doubt discussing how Yukari must have peeked at least once, or had bathed at least once in the pool. Some were twitching with envy.

"Master," Ran pleaded. "I think it's maybe time to tell them what's going on."

"Hm, you're quite right."

Yukari and Reimu recounted what had happened during the past few days, starting with the weakening of the Hakurei Border and Mugen's appearance, and told them how they found out about the Dragon inside Mugen. They also told them about the role of the Dragon in keeping Gensokyo in existence, and how little is known about the Dragon's powers themselves.

After the story ended, the neither of the Lunarians looked pleased. Yorihime had her arms crossed, while Toyohime was scratching her chin in confusion.

"Hey, youkai…" said Yorihime. "What does this have anything to do with us?"

"There was never a danger to begin with," said Toyohime. "At least, regarding us Lunarians. Have you forgotten what the moon is? It's the very origin of magic. Yes, the very Dragon god that protects you hails from the moon. We ourselves are descendants of Dragon gods. Oh, no… you lied to us. We're not going to vanish from existence." She laughed. "Just what is there to worry about?"

"The moon might be safe, but our existence is being threatened," said Yukari. "You're the last people we can turn to for help." Ran and Chen could only gawk at the position Yukari had placed herself in. There was no mistaking it. She was, without doubt, on her knees. After looking at each other awkwardly, the shikigami also lowered their bodies at the Lunarians. "Please," Yukari added.

The Lunarian commanders still didn't look moved. After all, Yukari had been an enemy of the moon for who knows how long. To the Watatsuki sisters, the youkai was nothing more than a constant annoyance.

"From the way things are, it was a mistake to come here at all," Yorihime pointed out after a moment. "Let's head back to the moon right away. Then we'll figure out how to seal away these Earth vermin for good. But by then, they'll probably be gone anyway."

"Leave now, and I'll make you regret it," said Reimu.

"No…" Toyohime shook her head, ignoring Reimu. "There is something of use in this kind of situation. Think about it. Any sort of aid we give, no matter how small… will be dearly compensated. Isn't that right, oh frivolous ones?"

"Yes, it sure will be," Yukari was quick to agree.

"Well then," said Toyohime, thinking. "Here is a solution. The Dragon is a distinct entity from this human named 'Mugen,' correct?"

"Yes, that's right." Yukari, however, already had a bad feeling about where she was getting at.

"Now, shouldn't it have crossed your mind by now… To find the boundary between this 'Mugen' and Dragon, and just transport the Dragon back inside the Hakurei Border? Or even simpler, transport the whole human inside the barrier?"

This suggestion actually made Reimu tense up. It made perfect sense. Why hadn't they thought of it before? Nevertheless, a bad feeling made its way up Reimu's stomach as she considered it.

"I'm afraid I can't do that," Yukari finally admitted. "For one, a physical object such as a human body will not fit inside the barrier. On the other hand, the Dragon seems to be able to morph itself entirely into a spiritual entity, which lets it fit comfortably in my barrier. As for the other option…"

Yukari stopped talking to think of the best way to put it. She took a deep breath.

"To extract the Dragon from Mugen is not a very wise idea either. The human is related to the Dragon in the same way as a body is related to a soul. The Dragon is her basis for knowledge, as well as her source of energy. If we remove it from her, I'm afraid the human won't last very long."

"Stop lecturing us on things we already know," said Yorihime annoyedly. "If you're not going to take our suggestions, that would be fair. Sister Toyohime?" She turned to leave.

"Patience, sister," said Toyohime calmly.

"Wait," Yukari called out. "Is this… is this all you can do for us?" she asked worriedly.

Toyohime had gotten close to her sister and was just finishing whispering something in Yorihime's ear. Yorihime nodded in acceptance. Meanwhile, Yukari was, in turn, being briefed by Ran, stroking the shikigami's ear-shaped hat as she spoke. Reimu recognized this as a hearing enhancement spell.

"Tell us where this Dragon is, then we'll be able to help you," Yorihime finally said.

"You don't have to answer that, Reimu," said Yukari.

"Eh?" Reimu, of course, could not know for sure where Mugen was at that moment.

"These people are trying to abduct Mugen and take her to the moon," Yukari explained.

For a moment, the Lunarians looked dumbfounded. But suddenly, both of them burst into laughter. "Oh, how unfortunate!" Yorihime said jokingly. "You saw right through our plan, didn't you? And now it's completely ruined!"

"It would be quite unfortunate for a fellow Dragon to be dragged out of existence along with impurities like you," said Toyohime. "So I think it would be best if we bring her to the safety of our homeland. Then we can figure out how to extract the Dragon inside and discard the filthy human."

She gave a circular device to Yorihime. "The Mystic Moon Dial," said Toyohime approvingly. "Instead of running on magnetism like a normal compass, we had it calibrated to detect Lunar energy that isn't from a familiar source. Gensokyo's Dragon should be one of them."

"Hmm," said Yorihime thoughtfully, reading the text that had appeared on the device. "According to the compass, the place with the strongest source energy is called 'Eientei.' And there are multiple sources in the same area… Does this mean there are multiple Dragons?"

Toyohime shook her head. "I believe we may have just found some old friends of ours… And apparently, the Dragon is hiding amongst them. How exciting!"

"Well, then. We have no business with you anymore," said Yorihime, turning towards Yukari. "You aren't going to last long holding up your border like that. Looks like this world really is going to vanish. Enjoy your existence while you still can."

The Lunarian chuckled. Clasping her hands together, she produced a shining object out of thin air, which solidified into a sword. She swung it around a few times to hone in her swordsmanship. "It's time for some exterminating."

Then, the army of moon rabbits and guards, along with the sisters, rose slowly in the air and began accelerating in the direction of Eientei.

After they left, Reimu immediately ran over to Yukari. "Are you just going to sit there? Do something about them!"

"Oh, now, would you like to look after the Border in my place?" asked Yukari sarcastically. After a pause, she gave a smile, although Reimu thought it looked a bit forced. "Calm down, Reimu. There's still something we can do. You wouldn't think I let this encounter happen without considering the possibility of a slip-up, would you?"

Reimu had often regretted putting so much trust in someone as cunning as Yukari, but it was at times like this that she found it hard not to put her faith in this youkai.

* * *

><p>In the almost completely dark room, Kaguya was relieving her boredom by stroking Mugen's hair.<p>

"No…" said Mugen, turning away. "Stop it…"

"Well, we might as well get ourselves comfortable," Kaguya replied. "If we're going to spend an eternity together."

"It's not possible," said Mugen. "I'm a mortal."

"But you see, thanks to the Hourai Elixir, I have control over both eternity and the instant," said Kaguya. "I can make it so that neither of us age in this room I've created, while allowing time to pass. Sounds like fun, doesn't it?"

Mugen responded with silence.

"They've put a lot of faith in you, the creatures of Gensokyo," said Kaguya. "Mugen, right? How does it feel to be drowning in faith?"

Mugen didn't answer. Kaguya wasn't someone she could trust, and Mokou from earlier didn't seem like she would have Mugen's best interests in mind. But the Lunarian's question had brought up a topic that's been bothering her. The 'faith' in question no doubt existed. Mugen knew of the farmers who worshipped the bringer of rain, and the bringer of the calm after the rain. The youkai who worshipped the embodiment of spiritual power and physical strength were also prominent.

"It feels… weird," Mugen finally replied. "Many people certainly worship me, but… I'm not feeling anything in return. Nothing is happening to me in response to the faith they've placed in me."

"I can explain for that," Kaguya said. She had stopped playing with Mugen's hair and was now sitting elegantly before her companion. "Think of Auntie Mokou. She's a perfect example."

Mugen sat silently, having no choice but to hear Kaguya's story to the end.

"For over a thousand years, she has been misled. And I have been misled, too, to some extent. But what exactly is it that's responsible for our foolishness? It's none other than our very own faith. You see, Mokou believed that she lives solely to cause my death. And I believed I live solely to cause hers. And so, for years, we killed each other to no end, each time getting frustrated when the other survives. We had complete faith in our ability to kill the other. And with this, we found the strength to try again, and again… and again."

Kaguya paused. Apparently, Mugen showed little interest in her story, as she was now fidgeting and looking away.

"Ah, sorry for getting carried away," Kaguya apologized. "Anyway, faith. Too many times have I seen faith being misunderstood, misdirected, unnecessary even. That story I told you is a clear example. And I only found out how much of a fool I had been after what happened tonight…" She sighed. "But I guess there's no way to fully understand the exact nature of one's faith. It all comes from somewhere very deep, somewhere very personal, impossible for anyone else to reach. As such, it becomes very difficult to explain. I guess that's why it can be so overwhelmingly powerful."

"So the people who put their faith in me… are misguided... acting only in personal self-interest?"

"I can't know for sure," said Kaguya. "But it makes perfect sense. Don't you know, Mugen? Mokou... had complete faith in you."

"It can't be…" Mugen barely managed to stammer.

"It's all right," laughed Kaguya as she reached out to calm Mugen. "You have nothing to worry about anymore. Starting now, you're simply my companion for all eternity."

At that moment, the voice of Eirin could be heard.

"Mistress, bad news! I'm afraid there are Lunarians headed this way."

* * *

><p>"Yuyuko, Youmu," addressed Yukari. "I'm afraid there's a favor I must ask of you. If it isn't too much trouble…"<p>

Standing in front of an open portal were two new females, one of which was a ghost and the other a half-ghost, half-human. The full ghost was dressed in a simple pink garb and wore a triangular covering above her wavy pink hair. The ghost's face was beaming with enigma. Her servant, the half-ghost, was significantly shorter and of lesser built, and had a white, bob-like hairstyle. Sheathed at her back were two swords.

"Don't worry, I saw everything that went on," assured Yuyuko. "Isn't that right, Youmu?"

The half-ghost servant gave a nod in response. "Yes, milady."

"Ah, that's good," said Yukari. "I was afraid I had to explain everything from the very beginning." She eyed the shrine building anxiously. Reimu had gone in to wake Suika, and they should be back and ready to join in anytime.

"All we need to do is visit Eientei and steal the Dragon dish before the Lunarians can get a bite, right?"

"Yes, steal it before the Lunarians," said Yukari. "But don't forget to bring it here first for all of us to enjoy."

"I agree. It's always better to share a treat with friends than selfishly indulging in it," Yuyuko said. "Doing that would be beyond rude." She sighed. "But those Lunarians were indeed strong."

"Are you afraid?" asked Youmu.

"Now, Youmu… It wouldn't do our friend Miss Yukari any good to be afraid now, would it?"

Reimu was now running towards the group, dragging a staggering Suika along with her.

"Ah… Wait, Reimu! Where are you taking me?"

"Yes, they are strong," Yukari agreed. "But are they strong enough to defeat all four of my strongest allies? And there's more. I doubt the Eientei stronghold will welcome the Lunarians with open arms. Ah, what am I doing? Time is running out!"

Yukari's shikigami each now held one end of two strings of yarn. Yukari tapped the center of the strings with her umbrella. Then she pulled the strings apart to reveal a portal with a crude picture of Eientei inside.

"Right this way, my darlings."

* * *

><p>AN: Things just keep pouring out, don't they? Pardon the rushed appearance, but I do plan to finish this story before second semester kicks in. Better to milk this fic for all it's worth, get this over with, and move on with my life. Unfortunately, there are a lot of things to cover, and I'll have to try my best to continue speed-writing. Lately, I'm under the impression that I'm spending too much effort on this. Maybe. Just a thought.

Gahh. I shiver to think about writing out the chaos that will completely dominate the next chapter.

On another note, Happy New Year!


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not have rights to any part of the Touhou franchise.

* * *

><p>"So this is Eientei?"<p>

Watatsuki no Yorihime tightened her grip on her sword. Casting a shadow over her was a Japanese-style mansion. It was completely dark, showing no sign of inhabitants. Whoever lived there wanted to give the impression that the abode had long been abandoned. However, it took much more than that to fool the Lunarians. Yorhime looked at her Mystic Moon Dial. The needle was fixed, pointing directly in front of her.

Watatsuki no Toyohime walked past her sister. "Kaguya-saan… Won't you show some respect for your guests? It's been a long journey, you know. Coming from the moon and all."

"Hm? Is Houraisan in there?"

"That was a guess," admitted Toyohime sheepishly. "But not a very bad one. It's the multiple sources on our Moon Dial… They must be Lunarians. And there are only so many Lunarians living on Earth, after all."

"In that case, if it's really her, we'll just take her back to the moon with us, along with the dragon."

The army of moon rabbits behind them had erupted into gossip, upon mention of Kaguya's name. When Yorihime looked over her shoulder to give an icy stare, and the place became silent again.

"They're coming," Toyohime said calmly.

Everyone's attention was brought back towards the dark mansion. For a moment, a soft breeze blew out from within. Then, all of a sudden…

Rabbits.

Hundreds of them, in humanoid form except for the ears. They poured out from all the entrances and windows, and before long, the Lunarians were surrounded. Unlike the moon rabbits, these do not have protective helmets. Aside from that, their overall appearance was no different.

"These are… earth rabbits?" asked Yorihime as she clasped her hands together, ready to cast a spell.

"Okay, now fire!" screamed a voice.

"Too late," said Yorihime smugly. "O spirit of Kiyohara no Iehara, I call upon thee! Show me your defensive might of the Gosannen War!(*)" She thrust her hand upwards in the air.

The hundreds of earth rabbits began showering danmaku of all types from every direction.

A figure of an armored warrior appeared above Yorihime. It slowly disintegrated, and a wooden stockade descended out of thin air. The rabbits' bullets struck the fence harmlessly. Yorihime then threw a sharp glance at her sister, who gave a quick nod.

"Hey, that's cheating!" complained a shrill voice. The sisters looked up to see a single humanoid earth rabbit, sitting on the roof. She seemed to be the commander, standing back, behind the army of earth rabbits.

"Cheating, you say," said Toyohime, twirling her paper fan. After opening the fan, she brought it behind her for a moment. "But what about this?" Then, she swiped the fan in a full circle. A gust of wind slowly expanded in all directions.

And then, it disappeared.

The entire area surrounding them. The patch of grass and shrubs outside of the wooden stockade spontaneously turned into a sizzling cloud glowing yellow. To the relief of the commander, the rabbits had sensed this and had leapt back just in time. Toyohime still stood holding her fan out, as if savoring the moment.

"Mana-infused dust," said Toyohime. A patch of barren dirt now surrounded the group. "A purification method directly imitating the powers of the Dragons. To turn everything into the building blocks of all matter. This power you've just seen can even dissolve souls. Good thing I held back, or else it would have gotten everyone in your mansion."

Some of the earth rabbits were shaking. "I don't want to die!" Some grabbed the earth commander. "Save me, Tewi!" "I'm getting out of here!" With a couple of shrieks and cries, all of the rabbits hurried back into the mansion in a matter of seconds.

"Oh no… This is bad!" the earth commander Tewi muttered in panic.

"Now, everyone," commanded Yorihime. "Attack that earth rabbit!"

There was a brief moment of hustle as the moon rabbits readied their rifles and took aim. Before long, burst after burst of giant bullets sailed in the direction of Tewi. But after a while, they stopped. The rabbit remained at the same place, untouched.

"What kind of aim was that?" Yorihime screamed in fury at her troops, who were now bowing and apologizing.

"It wasn't their fault," said Tewi. "I was just lucky."

Yorihime refocused her attention at her enemy, her eyebrow now twitching in annoyance.

"Well, O lucky one. Will you be so kind as to take us to your mistress?" asked Toyohime.

"If you're looking for Princess Kaguya, she's not here. You should look someplace else."

"Hm? You know… you've just made yourself look very suspicious," said Toyohime. "It wouldn't hurt to have a little look, would it?" She began to step forward menacingly. "Just what are you going to do to stop us?"

"Just wait till my master hears about this," Tewi said as she turned tail and disappeared into the mansion. However, Toyohime hesitated.

"Let's follow her," insisted Yorihime. "The mansion looks big. Maybe that earth rabbit can lead us to where we want."

"A wonderful idea…" Toyohime admitted. She frowned. "However, it seems more guests have arrived."

"Huh…?"

"It looks like Yukari sent her pets after us."

Sure enough, two figures could be seen quickly flying towards the group. One of them was a figure the Lunarians recognized as none other than the Hakurei Shrine maiden, while the other was a girl youkai with horns, undoubtedly an oni. They stopped abruptly upon reaching the front entrance of Eientei, face to face with the Lunarians.

"Ah, look at all these people," exclaimed Suika. "I knew it! It's going to be a fun party after all."

"Good, we're not too late." Reimu said as she landed on all fours, panting. "All right, are you ready to be taken down?"

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry, Mistress, but please explain again why you've decided to stay!" demanded Eirin Yagokoro.<p>

The Lunarian doctor, along with her moon rabbit servant, was standing in a hallway. Before them was a transparent sliding door, through which Kaguya could be seen.

"There's no use running forever," Kaguya replied curtly. "Gensokyo is a tiny, tiny world. There's no place to hide. But in any case, Eirin… Haven't we been preparing for this day?"

Reisen Udongein Inaba looked uneasy. "Hm, one of my scouts told me … It's the Watatsuki sisters we're dealing with. I used to be their… pet. There's this relationship between them and me. These people aren't simply just enemies."

Eirin's face quickly paled. "That's right," she agreed quickly. "Awful timing, really. I'm afraid we're not completely ready to face them yet. Maybe we can think this over…"

Eirin thought back to her last encounter with the Watatsuki, back at the Lunar Capital. Hundreds of years had passed, and memories were blurry. She had been their respected mentor, being the sage of the lunar capital. But everything changed on that fateful day, when she, along with Kaguya, committed the crime. Knowing the Watatsuki sisters, Eirin could very well guess that they were in no place to forgive them.

"Well, I don't think you have a choice," Kaguya said stubbornly. "Eirin?" She extended her hand through the transparent door.

"I really don't have a choice, do I?" sighed Eirin as she took it and stepped into the expanse of Kaguya's hidden realm. Then she looked back. "Udonge…"

The lunar rabbit jumped.

"Calm down, Udonge. You won't win. Look, now you don't have to worry about whether or not you're going to lose, right? The mistress and I need some time to prepare. Just stall them as much as you can."

"G-Got it!"

* * *

><p>Watatsuki no Yorihime held her sword at the ready, protected by the moon rabbit army that had shrunken to about half its original size.<p>

"Hey, hey! That was an awful insult!" cried Suika. "Just one of you is enough for us? You can't just decide like that."

Watatsuki no Toyohime had ended up marching into the mansion and had taken along her share of the moon rabbit army.

"My, is this the best Yukari can do?" smirked Yorihime. "But still, I better make this quick…" She raised her sword and pointed it at the two. "Attack them!"

"Yes, ma'am!" The rabbits fired their rifles, and giant bullets glided at their opponents.

Without hesitation, Reimu pulled out a spell card. "Light Spirit 'Divine Orbs!'" She raised her gohei. From it emerged balls glowing with multiple colors. They started to descend and accelerate towards the moon army.

"Gather Sign 'Throwing Mt. Togakushi!'"

"…Huh?" Reimu's bullets disappeared as Suika's spell aura swept across the battlefield.

Suika gathered energy in her palms and made a pushing motion at the Lunarian. "Let's… partyyy!" The bullets took the form of rocks, in all shapes and sizes. Hurled full speed at the Lunarians, the attack canceled out the moon rabbits' bullets.

Yorihime leapt into the air and, using her reflexes, weaved through the attack. The rabbits cowered and flinched as they were pelted by rocks and boulders. "I see. I'm going to have to do this myself," grumbled the Lunarian as she landed.

Reimu gave a cold stare to Suika. "Hey. Good of you to disrupt my spell," she seethed.

"Haha, oops!" said Suika. "I forgot. Only a certain amount of energy can be summoned at a given time." She happily pointed. "Look, she's coming!"

Yorihime was gliding at full speed, her sword drawn, drowning out their discussion with her battle-cry.

"Haah!" With a stamp, the oni sent a massive shockwave at the charging opponent. A few nearby trees were uprooted, and a large crack appeared on the ground.

The Lunarian paused and swung once.

The look on Suika's eyes spelled terror. "You… You can't do that!"

Yorihime gave a smirk in response. "Did you really expect to win through physical strength?" Then, she clasped her hands together, preparing a spell. "Fine, then. Let's see if you can match this. O god of lightning, Raijin (*)!"

Something emerged above Yorihime. It was big enough to cast a shadow over Suika.

"Show them the meaning of true strength!"

"Ooh, hey, you look like an oni!" Suika said excitedly, looking up. The god was indeed an oni, though he looked much brawnier than Suika. Before him was a traditional drum.

"Have you come to fight me? I'm ready when you are!" Without hesitating, Suika jumped up and launched herself at the god, her fists clenched.

The oni god noticed the figure coming at him. He raised one finger and pointed.

Reimu turned away and covered her ears for a second. When she looked back, Suika was lying at her feet, covered with burns, still twitching slightly in a fit of giggles. The shrine maiden sighed. "See? If you had listened carefully, you would have known it was a lightning god."

The sound of slow footsteps gradually became louder, and the next thing Reimu saw was a pair of feet in sandals, darkened by a shadow. Yorihime now stood directly in front of her, frowning. Her sword was inches from Reimu's face.

"Hai, hai. We surrender."

* * *

><p>*Gosannen War was a 3-year war fought during the Heian period, between competing warrior clans in northern Japan. Kiyohara no Iehara, whose spirit was invoked by Yorihime, was known for defending a siege during that war. I know Yorihime's power was to summon the power of gods, but I guess spirits of people who once existed can be thought of as kami, right?<p>

*Raijin is the god of lightning, obviously. He beats drums to create lightning, thank you Wikipedia. And whaddaya know? Sometimes, he's depicted as being an oni.

A/N: Sorry for the late update… Something came up over the New Year, regarding school. In any case, this entire chapter, or story for that matter, can definitely be written better. That's just my opinion.

Oh, and the Touhou Seimoe 2011 competition's drawing to a close! Semifinals happening right now. Get excited…


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not have rights to any part of the Touhou franchise.

* * *

><p><em>I am…<em>

_The Dragon of Gensokyo._

_At least, that was what I thought I am… The entity which every creature in the land holds sacred, to which every creature pledges their faith and credits the origin of its power. The one supposedly behind the blooming of every flower, the shaping of the earth, the birth and destruction of souls…_

…

_What is this powerlessness? What if I'm nothing but a hoax, and I'm not really the Dragon at all?_

_Now, I'm trapped in this world that belongs to someone else, helpless against her will._

_Against anyone's will._

_Today, I have learned a valuable lesson. Anyone who worships the Dragon, anyone who calls upon my so-called power… has a reason to do so. And that reason is none other than…_

_Selfishness._

_A concept all too easy to understand. After all, everyone has something they desire._

_Be it Kaguya… or Mokou… even Reimu and Yukari are no different._

…

_But what about me?_

_What is it…_

_That I need most?_

* * *

><p>Mugen opened her eyes.<p>

For the past few minutes, she had been sitting cross-legged inside Kaguya Houraisan's hidden chamber. While she was meditating, a newcomer had entered. Mugen could immediately tell she was another Lunarian, by the pattern of mana flow surrounding her.

"I'm going to have to try something I've never done before," whispered Eirin Yagokoro. She was seated across from her companion, resting her palm against the rim of a large jug. Kaguya was doing the same.

"As long as it helps," responded Kaguya calmly, but quietly, in fear of giving away their position.

Eirin placed three fingers of her other hand on the right side of her lower chest, motioning Kaguya to do the same. "Your liver is the core of your immortality. The organ in which the essence of the Hourai Elixir is stored. We will try our best to use it to our advantage. A mixing vat would be the perfect container in which to combine this with our spell."

Eirin started mumbling incantations. Kaguya, however, looked confused.

"Are you suggesting using our immortality against those Lunarians? Their goal is to deport us back, not to kill us, remember? …" Kaguya stopped and thought hard about her situation. Then she slowly nodded. "Ahh… I understand now. How sneaky of you."

It had already been quite a few times that Mugen was largely ignored by those around her. But for the first time, there seemed to be no reason to hold back.

"Um…"

Both heads turned.

"If you're going to hold me here for company, you might as well try not to ignore me. I think that only defeats the whole purpose. So, would you mind telling me what's going on?"

The two pairs of eyes blinked a few times at first. Finally, Eirin smirked. "You don't seem to understand… captives like you do not usually have things going their way."

Kaguya held up a hand. "No, she's right. My apologies for not informing you earlier." She paused, as if thinking of the best way to put it. "The fact is, Lunarians are waging war against Gensokyo to steal all the sake in our secret underground storage. What we're doing is actually very simple. We're trying to find the fastest possible way to drink it all before they get their hands on it. Would you like to help?"

Mugen clenched her teeth in disgust. "That sounds like a lie."

"Of course it was," confirmed Kaguya. Then, she pouted. "But I was hoping you'd play along… Ah, time to get back to work."

* * *

><p>Reimu Hakurei and Suika Ibuki sat leaning against each other near the entrance of Eientei. The looks on their faces gave the impression that they were holding a competition to see which of them appeared more bored than the other. Surrounding them was an army of angry-looking moon rabbits standing on guard position with their rifles at the ready.<p>

It wasn't before long before the shrine maiden got the icebreaker going.

"Hey, aren't any of you getting tired watching us?" asked Reimu.

"It's only been a minute," said one of the rabbits, presumably the leader. "Our master told us that if any of you made a move, we're supposed to attack."

Reimu sighed and massaged her eyes. "If that was a minute, I don't think I'll live to see daytime…"

"You're from the far side of the moon, is that right?" asked Suika. "I've heard stories about you. Hey, is it true? That a single day on the Lunar Capital lasts as long as a month?"

The rabbit leader gave it some thought. "Hm, that should make sense. Our world rotates on its axis once a month. Since one side of the moon is lit up for half a month while the other side stays dark, it's kind of hard to keep track of time."

"No wonder you guys can't tell a minute from an hour…" Reimu grumbled.

"Careful," warned the rabbit. "If you misbehave, I'm going to tell my master about you."

Suika pouted. "Oh, that's right! Speaking of which, there was a certain ghost and a half-ghost that came here with us."

The moon rabbits' attention was now drawn to the oni. Reimu started to give Suika a look that meant, "Stop it with the mischief," but she gave up and merely nodded in agreement.

"And you know," Suika continued. "They were sneaking into the mansion while we were fighting with your master, and they're trying to rescue the Dragon before your masters get to it first, and also they're definitely trying to bring it back to Yukari so it can be safe with us. Got it?"

Suika looked over at Reimu, who had been half-mindedly nodding the whole time. The moon rabbits looked at one another, and the seconds ticked by, without a word from either party.

"You can't fool us," the rabbit leader finally said. "Are you just trying to make us panic? My master told us all about the tricks you might use." Then she happily added, "Besides… There's no such thing as a half-ghost."

"A what…?""Captain Reisen's right. No way." "Of course not." "Earth creatures trying to trick us... how dare they!" The rest of the rabbits seemed to be in agreement.

"Ha-ha! Tricked you!" Suika taunted.

Reimu could not help letting a smirk escape her face.

_So Suika's trying to have some fun. That was risky, but these moon rabbits are more gullible than I thought. Well, anything's better than a few more hours of boredom._

* * *

><p>It was all quiet in the halls of Eientei.<p>

Reisen Udongein Inaba stood at a corner of the hallway, her back pressed firmly against the wall. The hallways were dimly lit by magic to allow her to see through to their ends. At the moment, however, Reisen was in no mood to keep a watchful eye. For the moment, she fidgeting around, deeply lost in thought.

"No, even my abilities are no match for the Watatsuki's," she muttered. "And then there's the question of how to address them… Emissaries of the moon? Lunar commanders? '_Masters?_'" She sighed in exasperation. "I can't do this after all. I never expected to see them again."

"That would be… truly, a shame."

Reisen jumped. "…Who's there?" Reisen peered down the halls, seeing no one.

"When you decide to leave behind your poor friends, expecting to never meet them again would be your biggest mistake," chuckled Watatsuki no Toyohime. Her transparent image floating in the hallway was slowly solidifying. "If there is a possibility, even the slightest… We are guaranteed to meet again, whether through a distant dream, or through a chance encounter much like this one."

"M…Master!" gasped Reisen. "I mean, Toyohime! How have you been?"

"Lovely," responded Toyohime. "And you too, Reisen. As lovely as always, it seems. You're still that unsure, hesitating pet I've known for so long. How charming!" Toyohime twirled around in delight. "Please, do feel free to address me as 'Master.' It's not too late to come back. Either way… This Gensokyo is not going to last much longer, so it looks like you don't have much of a choice, do you?"

Reisen stared wordlessly at her former master for a few seconds. Then, she settled back and smiled. "Fair enough… I don't mind calling you 'Master.' But…" Reisen swallowed hard. "There's no way I'm going back. Running away from the moon and protecting the Mistress are probably… the dumbest things I could have done. But at least they were actual choices that I made!"

"Hmm, this is why we Lunarians stress discipline so much. Especially in our army," said Toyohime. "You… can be the perfect example. The example of what happens when a pet is given a bit too much space. Wouldn't that be such an honor?"

Reisen could feel anger seeping in. "Well, what good has your entire rabbit army done?" she sighed. "See, they're just as useless as I remember. There's no way I could have decided anything on my own back on the moon after all…"

Reisen had barely finished her sentence when her surroundings suddenly became dim.

"Very well…"

"Wha-?"

Before long, everything had descended into darkness. The lunar rabbit felt a nearby presence grow stronger. Except it was not a nearby presence.

"M-Master?" She looked around, but nothing greeted her eyes. "No…" Although she couldn't see, Reisen could feel her knees buckle as she held her pressed her hands against her head.

Insanity. The feeling that Reisen should be all too familiar with, had just been delivered to her on a whole new level. She had somehow lost control of her own powers of insanity. Instead, she seemed to be made to use her own powers on herself. But despite bearing the full brunt of her powers, Reisen found herself barely managing to keep her mind level.

_Reisen… Look how strong you've become. I am very proud of you._

The voice did not seem to come from one place, but rather from all places. The meaning of Toyohime's words seemed to burn themselves into Reisen's mind. Resistance was useless, Reisen vaguely realized. Both her perceptions and her thoughts were now under the complete control of another mind.

"It… can't…" Even constructing a thought now took immense effort. "How did… Master… inside my mind?"

_Reisen, my dear… How unlike you to underestimate me. Before I get on with my business, there is one thing I'd like to talk about…_

_Reisen… how much do you know about the concept of probability?_

_We Lunarians like to draw from the power of the Dragons. There is one important thing we've learned from them. We are of their kind, after all._

_You see, probability… is the basis for all magic. It is the answer to all questions. Even a bit of control over it… is a devastating ability._

_The living mind, Reisen… It is extremely volatile. It's subject to even the tiniest effects of probability. You, with your ability, should understand that of all things, isn't that right?_

_But not even YOUR mind is spared._

…_And that is why I'm going to change it._

_Don't worry. In no time… you will be on your knees, pleading to go back with us._

Reisen didn't waste a second. Up until now, she had been gathering all her remaining consciousness, before finally arriving at a single thought, her last ditch attempt to escape.

"'Red-Eyed Hypnosis.'"

* * *

><p>"Deadly Dance 'Law of Mortality—Dead Butterfly.'"<p>

Watatsuki no Yorihime leapt from side to side of the Eientei hallway, dodging and slashing at pale globes of varying energy types. Once in a while, a cut through the air made by Yorihime's enchanted blade made its way to Yuyuko, who winced a little upon being hit.

"You can move, and you can cut… but there will always be more," cooed Yuyuko Saigyouji as she unleashed barrage after barrage.

"I am barely trying," retorted Yorihime as she paused after the barrage stopped. "From what I understand, you are supposed to be a team of ghost, and half-ghost, who are sent here to fight us?"

"Why, to stop you from stealing the Dragon dish. Having a fair banquet is a perfectly fine reason for battle."

Yorihime sighed in exasperation. "In other words, more of Yukari's pets. Now, why is it that I don't see…"

The question she was asking was answered by her own instinct, which brought her sword over her head and behind her back to block a certain half-ghost's slash to the neck. Their swords locked.

"Go, Yuyuko-sama. I will hold her off."

Yorihime leapt forward with her sword, spinning around. Then she lunged, slamming into Youmu Konpaku's blade, hard. The half-ghost skittered backwards.

"Go, Youmu! Go, Youmu! I'm counting on you!" Yuyuko cheered. She had decided to put off danmaku for the moment, as they would only hinder her servant's movements. "I'd rather stay here and cheer you on."

"Roukanken?" Yorihime muttered, keeping their swords locked. "And also your movements… even when they're simply pathetic, why do they somehow remind me of someone?"

"Think all you want," Youmu said. "But just so you know, you're not getting anywhere near the Dragon." She mustered enough energy to move the Lunarian's blade just slightly enough to trick her into countering, allowing her to attempt a clean disengage.

Taken by surprise, Yorihime staggered back and almost lost her footing in the process. "Interesting…" She looked up and brandished her sword. "This fighting style…"

Her eyes widened.

"Can it be? Are you really…?"

The Lunarian's lips started to purse, but after a while, she was no longer able to stifle her laughter. It wasn't long before she was in hysterics.

"Konpaku!" she breathed. "Konpaku's your lineage, right?" She paused to catch her breath. "So you're the disciple that old joke was talking about?"

"Oh my," exclaimed Yuyuko.

"…You've met Youki-sama?" asked Youmu.

"I barely recall anything. It's been a long time, and I didn't give it much thought since he was way under my league." Yorihime's face took on a new shade of seriousness. "But since I know who you are, there's nothing else to know. The Dragon I've been looking for, it's just down this hallway."

"Youmu," said Yuyuko softly. "Here's where it really begins. Be careful."

"Yes, milady." Youmu tightened her grasp on her sword as she stepped closer to the middle of the hallway.

Yorihime brandished hers. "If you continue to try stopping me, I'll have to show you how serious I can really get."

Youmu pulled out a small slip of paper and aggressively thrust it in front of her, activating it. "Hell God Sword 'God's Flashing Slash as Karma Gust!'"

Youmu's sword glowed a bright blue hue, loaded with danmaku ammo that was ready to be released. The half-ghost floated in midair, readying her attack.

"O, godly spirit. Kami of the seas and storms, Susanoo…" Yorihime began her incantation. "Grant unto me the mighty blade, Ama-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi (*)."

Her current sword glowed a blinding white, then it morphed into a much larger broadsword that gave a dim blue glow.

"Everything comes down to this attack," Youmu observed. "I must make it count."

Then, the half-ghost seemed to move at lightning speed towards her opponent, her blade cutting through the air and releasing a giant barrage of red danmaku bullets. On the other end of the field, Yorihime stood at one place while she swung slowly, her blade completing its curve gracefully just as Youmu flew right by her.

* * *

><p>"I've been waiting," said Toyohime. She then noticed a few injuries sustained by her sister. "And it looks like for good reason too. So, what happened?"<p>

"My apologies," said Yorihime as she arrived by her sister's side. "Yukari had much stronger pets than I'd expected. But they were taken care of." Her gaze was drawn to the figure that lay on the floor. "Hey, is this…?"

"Yes, she is our Reisen," sighed Toyohime. "How sad indeed to see her in a state like this. But in the end, she was the one who decided to break her own mind rather than be convinced to rejoin us. But let's deal with her after we have the Dragon in our hands, shall we?"

"That should be no trouble, right?"

"I hope you haven't forgotten them…" reminded Toyohime. "That is, the rest of our old friends left here on Earth."

"…I see."

Toyohime felt the smooth texture of a nearby decorated sliding door. "No worries. For beyond this door… lies the solution to all problems. …In this world, at least."

* * *

><p>*Ama-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi is a legendary sword said to be wielded by the god Susanoo, who found the sword inside the tail of a monster he battled.<p>

A/N: Eek. Maybe I shouldn't be flooding characters with too much emotion. That seems a little un-canon. Now that I think about it, all the characters in the games don't have a care in the world. Well, almost everyone… Not that it's a bad thing. XD


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I do not have rights to any part of the Touhou franchise.

* * *

><p>"This is bad, this is bad!" The moon rabbit was running around the maze-like halls of Eientei. It was not alone. All around, the rest of the army scurried along the halls in different directions. "Master! Master, where are you?" called another.<p>

Sure enough, Watatsuki no Toyohime was nowhere to be seen. The Lunarian commander had suddenly gotten excited and vanished into thin air, presumably in pursuit of the Dragon.

A sliding door on the end of the hallway opened, and a figure stood facing the crowd. As it emerged, the figure became recognizable as the earth rabbit commander they had encountered.

"Hey, hey, calm down! Can't this place be left in peace for once?"

"It's the earth rabbit from before!" noticed a rabbit. "Let's get her!" The rabbits grabbed their guns.

"Okay, okay, I surrender! So don't attack, okay?" cried Tewi Inaba as she thrust her arms in the air. The moon rabbits looked at one another confusedly.

"Our commander never told us about the enemy surrendering," muttered a rabbit.

"But of course she did," said Tewi. "You were supposed to make peace with them and then make yourselves at home. Don't you remember?"

The rabbits looked around and scratched their heads, but finding it difficult to do thanks to their helmets.

Tewi sighed. "Don't be so careless as to forget something like that. You wouldn't want to disappoint your commander now, would you?"

Finally, but with hesitation, they lay down their arms.

_Well, that was easy…_

"You can come out now," announced Tewi. Several earth rabbits timidly peeked out from behind sliding doors. "Hey… when I say that, I really mean coming out."

The scene from a minute later was one never before seen in Gensokyo. The two species of rabbits sat against the walls, earth rabbits taking up one side, their Lunar counterparts on the other. They chatted amongst themselves, looking and pointing at members of the other party.

"Um…"

Tewi's gaze wandered to the source of the speaker. _Come to think of it, isn't it the first time these moon rabbits are meeting their kinfolks on Earth?_

"So, what's with you earth rabbits not wearing helmets like we do?" asked the rabbit sitting opposite Tewi.

"I was going to ask why wear them," said Tewi.

"It's a tradition of ours." The moon rabbit said indifferently and removed her helmet, fixing her hair in the process.

"Hm…" Tewi studied her companion carefully. "You moon rabbits don't look as intimidating as I thought," she remarked. "You know, they tell lots of stories about you here. Like how people from the moon are super powerful but they avoid impure objects like a disease."

"Oh? I've heard stories about how people on Earth are naïve and unable to use any kind of useful magic." The moon rabbit looked at the rest of her companions. By now, the rabbits had moved into close groups, talking and gossiping. "Right, what's the real difference between moon and earth rabbits anyway?"

"Earth rabbits are from Earth!" said Tewi in exasperation. "Oh, but I almost forgot. The moon rabbit who lives here is very powerful, so I'm thinking moon rabbits are stronger in general?"

"That should also be obvious," said the moon rabbit arrogantly. "But why is there a moon rabbit living here in the first place?"

"A runaway," Tewi replied simply. "Still, that doesn't explain why she's so strong…"

"Anyone from the moon would think he or she is stronger than any of this world's filth," said the moon rabbit matter-of-factly. "It's only natural. But it isn't just thinking anymore when it's a fact, isn't it? It's knowing."

"I still don't understand why everyone from the moon is stronger…" the earth rabbit was getting frustrated.

"Why not?"

Tewi sighed. "I give up! Let's talk about something else…"

* * *

><p>A faint light managed to make its way into Youmu Konpaku's blurred vision. A dull ache around her upper torso made it painful to try to get up. At the same time, the half-ghost felt a sense of urgency, as if there was still something important to do.<p>

"Youmu."

The familiar voice of Yuyuko assured her that everything was fine, at least for now.

"Yuyuko-sama?"

The two of them were still in the hallway where they had encountered Yorihime earlier.

"How powerful indeed, that Lunarian," said Yuyuko, who was sitting patiently nearby. "You kept moving even after she cut you. Then suddenly the bottom half of your body was ahead of where it should be. I wonder if it was in a hurry to go somewhere…"

"I thought lethal attacks are banned in Gensokyo."

"Indeed they are, but don't forget. The Lunarians are not of this world. But it wouldn't be lethal if you could just heal this easily, right?"

Youmu stood up and brushed the dirt away. Indeed, the pain she had been feeling was mostly gone.

"No. Healing from that attack was never that simple. I am still standing here because death is a foreign concept to me. I gave up on my fear of death a long time ago. It is all to better serve Yuyuko-sama."

"Oh, Youmu… What will I do without you?" cooed Yuyuko as she gave Youmu a hug.

* * *

><p>Four Lunarians and a Dragon. These were currently the occupants of an enclosed realm otherwise known as Kaguya's room. Unlike previously, the room was illuminated with a pale moonlight hue, the light coming from the Lunarians' bodies, as if the they couldn't contain their concentrated energy and had to release it some form. Both parties stared passively at the other side.<p>

"Well. Here we are," said Eirin Yagokoro, remaining composure. "It could have ended differently. I had never wanted for us to meet. But in the end, it was your decision to come."

"Oh, Miss Yagokoro… I'm so glad to see you've been doing well," said Toyohime. "Honestly, you don't know how happy we are for you."

"I hope you haven't done too much damage to your former pet," said Eirin sternly.

Toyohime peered at the lunar rabbit's sprawled figure through the screen door behind her.

"We wanted to persuade her to come back with us," said Toyohime. Eirin's eyes narrowed. "But in the end it seems she would rather do something very stupid. I wonder, does being on Earth for a prolonged period have a negative effect on intelligence? Unfortunately, it would seem so."

"What gave us away?" asked Kaguya.

"We were actually going after a Dragon. We figured we might as well bring it back home where it belongs." Toyohime shot a glance at the human, who was sitting attentively some distance away.

Mugen stared back with the same intensity. Was she going to be handed over to yet another party? Her jaw tightened in disgust.

"Okay, let's get to the point," said Yorihime. "I'm giving you two choices. Either surrender peaceably to us, or we must do whatever it takes."

"Oh, of course we would love to do exactly as you say," said Kaguya. "As long as it doesn't entail going to the moon, or handing anyone over, or being tried as criminals." She raised a spell card.

"End of Imperishable Night 'Paschal Moon.'"

Keeping Eirin near, Kaguya fired a dense expanding sphere of white bullet paths, while supplementing it with additional homing orbs.

Yorihime dipped her head. "It's not that we want to see you suffer," she muttered. Without looking up, she raised her sword. "We have little choice of our own as well…" She began slashing away at the bullets, which disappeared upon contact.

Under the shelter of her sister's blockade, Toyohime readied a spell of her own.

"Far Side Art, Tidal Bound."

The Lunarian extended her palm and swept at the direction of her two opponents. Consequently, both Kaguya and Eirin were surrounded by a large pale-blue aura. A narrow band of light extended from both parties, linking them to each other.

"So, what would this spell do?" inquired Kaguya as she looked about.

"It's a linking spell," said Eirin. "Watatsuki no Toyohime has access to all the different kinds of magic from the far side of the moon. When we cast a spell from now on, she will control its energy using help from her lunar arsenal, and use it against us."

Watatsuki no Toyohime made no further move. "Are you still insisting on continuing the battle?"

"Why would you think otherwise?" Eirin retorted.

"You know, Gensokyo… is going to disappear. Everything inside of it will vanish without a trace, so that its existence won't even be remembered. Well then… having second thoughts, are we?"

Eirin fixed her stare at the Lunarian as if trying to sense if she was lying. "I see… Even if that were true, I can tell you this. Anything is better than living the rest of eternity as a prisoner on the moon."

Toyohime gave an annoyed scowl. "All in truth, this rashness is the last thing I would expect from you. How disappointing."

"Now, look here. From the way you are fighting, you clearly aren't giving your all," Eirin retorted. "Who do you think you are to try to fool your former master? If anything, I should be the one questioning your intent."

Toyohime looked as she was going to argue back, but she could find no words.

"Sister, please step aside for a moment," said Yorihime. The Lunarian did as told. "Yagokoro-sama. Kaguya-hime. For the past 1300 years, you have been living in exile on Earth for the making and consumption of the Elixir of Immortality. Don't misunderstand. I don't think you deserve this kind of treatment. At times, we would even think back to the days when we you had been our respected mentor. I never really expected you to slip eagerly into handcuffs for us. But you, of all people, should know about our duties more than anyone else. Do you really expect us to pass up an opportunity such as this, and still hold our heads high as the leaders of the most well known stronghold of magic? Please, think back to all the things you've taught us."

Eirin paused and blinked. Then, she relaxed and grinned complacently. "Oh? The Lunar Capital must be very honored to have you as high command. You now have my respect. But to surrender ourselves, and the lives for which we have worked so hard to build in this world, so my former disciples can retain some sense of dignity? I'm sorry, but that's completely out of the question. You must know… that while you yourselves are entitled to your share of selfishness, your beloved mentor is entitled to hers as well." Eirin thrust an open palm towards Kaguya, igniting a sphere of energy. On her other hand was a spell card. "Mistress."

"So the moment has come. I getting impatient," commented the moon princess as she put her hand against the ball of energy.

Toyohime smirked. _Have they forgotten about our absorption spell? …Wonderful_.

"Forbidden Arcanum 'Hourai Elixir.'"

"Huh…?" Toyohime froze. A spell named after the legendary medicine itself? From the energy sphere between her two opponents, a burst of pointed bullets shot forth. Thick laser beams then made angular turns around the room, while a wall of fast moving bullets rotated towards the enemy.

Toyohime made a gesture and the light connecting her with her opponents vanished.

"Wha- What are you doing?" yelled Yorihime as she leapt before her sister and deflected the bullets with her sword.

"Careful. These bullets are purposely infused the essence of their immortality. If you become overwhelmed by the spell, you will become immortal. In other words… a crime under the sacred law of the Capital."

After a minute, the barrage of bullets and lasers slowed to a halt. Behind, Eirin and Kaguya were showing signs of fatigue. Yorihime also seemed barely able to lift her sword.

"Well… then," panted Eirin. "Clearly a stalemate, isn't it? You're no longer able to absorb our energy. And we can continue casting our forbidden spell until you give up."

The looks on the Watatsuki's faces were of outright frustration. Yorihime turned towards her partner. "What do we do now?"

"It looks like these people are seriously willing to stall forever," muttered Toyohime. "I think we might have to call it a draw. Time is running out, after all."

"So, we really did come here for nothing…"

"It's still early to say that." Toyohime turned to her opponents. "You may have us on a deadlock. Congratulations, I should say. But we have no problem with stalling until the end of time. That is, unless one condition is fulfilled."

"…"

"Hand over the Dragon. Then we leave you in peace."

A wave of desperation swept over Mugen. So she was going to be traded off after all. Somehow, she thought. Somehow there must be something she could do. Something she could say to stop to stop herself from being taken advantage of. The way she had been treated thus far was due to the fact that there was a Dragon inside of her.

…If only the Dragon never existed.

But even when it did exist, and was in fact residing inside Mugen's spiritual energy, she was sure that the dignity of wielding the powers of a Dragon would give her the right to voice out against this treatment.

"That's not going to happen," Mugen finally said blandly. "I won't let people do whatever they want with me anymore. I've decided to stay here and wait for my time to come." She turned to Kaguya. "Well, you're going to have to find another way to satisfy the sisters."

"Mugen, was it?" Kaguya responded. "I never really did have much use for you anyway, other than simply a companion. But wasn't that a nice few minutes of bonding?" She grinned. "Hm, I think I might just have a way to settle everything once and for all. Unfortunately for you commanders, it does not involve handing over the Dragon. Now, how can I resist a final act of disobedience?"

The moon princess produced an Impossible Request from her robe pocket—the Jewel from the Dragon's Neck. The color-changing sphere levitated in front of her, shone with a bright intensity, then separated into two halves. Kaguya caught the object in her hands.

Mugen felt the familiar burn of energy welling up inside her. She closed her eyes, savoring the moment of liberation. When she opened them, she was levitating slightly, the sudden outburst of energy producing a gust of wind that tore through the area.

"I'll leave it to the Dragon to determine the ending," said Kaguya with a hint of malice. "It's your turn, Mugen. Pick a side. Us… or them?"

"Dragon, you've heard about the dangers of staying in Gensokyo," reminded Toyohime. "Are you willing to risk nonexistence like these unenlightened, pitiful creatures? Or are you keen enough to recognize the untainted stronghold of magic as your homeland?"

"My, my. Have you forgotten about us already?"

Behind Mugen, two figures emerged headfirst from the ground.

"We came at the right time," said Youmu. "Mugen, you can come with us now. We are going back to Yukari and Reimu, okay?"

"A team sent by Yukari and Reimu?" Mugen thought to herself. "Taking me back to Hakurei Shrine, it seems."

_So, I seem to have finally come full circle._

…

_No, there's nothing to gain from returning to Hakurei Shrine. Nor does the moon princess or the Lunarian commanders appear any more trustworthy. In this kind of world, I cannot place too much trust on someone else. Before I know it, that person will make me into a slave to their desires._

…_But I am a Dragon. There shouldn't be anything I can't make happen. Therefore, whatever kind of life I want to lead, and whatever result I want to see, should be within my grasp._

"Tell Reimu I am grateful for all she has done. I've decided to pursue my own path, and I don't know whether or not Reimu should have anything to do with it."

Unsure of what to do, Youmu turned back to her master. "Yuyuko-sama, the Dragon appears to be unwilling to cooperate."

"It's okay, Youmu. To be honest, there's nothing I can do."

Mugen held out a spell card. "Sea, Sky, and Rain Sign 'Nature's Decree!'" The breeze blowing through the tiny realm increased tenfold in intensity.

"A master and servant?" asked Mugen, noticing Yuyuko and Youmu's relationship. "To what end will you allow your master to indulge in your trust… Youmu?"

Those were her parting words. A typhoon of blue bullets made to resemble water now encircled Mugen as she rose high in the air. Lightning shot out in all directions, making countless dents in the ground. The room's inhabitants were swept up by the bullets' momentum, taking hits in the process.

After all was over, Kaguya's room was no more.

* * *

><p><em>It was dawn at Eientei when I finally made it to the scene. Much of what happened during that night remains a mystery to many. <em>

_The sliding door that used to lead into Kaguya Houraisan's room now opened to a bare wooden wall. The Lunarians, as well as a certain ghost team, found themselves sprawled on a hallway of Eientei after they came around._

_Poor Reisen Udongein Inaba had tried to tend the wounded, carelessly using the bandages she found stored inside the hidden compartments of Eientei. She was still hopping around, frantically looking for more. Eirin Yagokoro started her diagnose on her insanity._

_Having nothing else to do, the ghost team left the scene, with Youmu Konpaku in slight distress over something about the Dragon's parting message. Yuyuko Saigyouji, however, insisted that Youmu pay no heed to the Dragon._

_Watatsuki no Toyohime's army of moon rabbits had grown quite fond of their earthly counterparts, with a large portion of it wanting to make Eientei their new home, much to the Watatsuki's disgust. Both the sisters immediately decided to return to the moon with their armies before they get tainted further by the creatures of Gensokyo. As they rose towards the sky, the sisters locked eyes with Eirin for a brief moment. Many theories have risen as to what was going on in their minds at that moment. (Self note: schedule interview with Eirin.)_

_As for the Dragon, it vanished that night, completely without a trace. Residents of Hakurei Shrine could only wonder about the Dragon's current whereabouts and its motives. Meanwhile, despite Yukari Yakumo's best efforts, the border of Gensokyo was slowly seeping away by the second._

_Please look forward to our next issue of Bunbunmaru!_

_Signed_

_Your journalist,_

_Aya Shameimaru_

* * *

><p>AN: I was told in a review last chapter that… the events of this story contradict the plot of _Inaba of the Moon and Inaba of the Earth_, which I haven't read. But they do make references to the general story of _Silent Sinner in Blue_, which I have read… And yes, I do try to aim for no conflicts with canon. Well uh… hate to say this, but nothing can really be done by this point.

But actually, the story's canoness can still be saved! For now, let's just say that the events of this story happened after _Silent Sinner in Blue_, but before _Inaba of the Moon and Inaba of the Earth_, and that after this story is over, all the characters somehow managed to forget everything that happened.

Er… before I give anything else away, I think I'll stop here.

See you next time!


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I do not have rights to any part of the Touhou franchise.

* * *

><p>"It's me again," Marisa Kirisame announced.<p>

Another quiet day at the Scarlet Devil Mansion. On this particular day, however, the mistresses were up and about. As such, Sakuya Izayoi had to take the extra precaution of making sure all the curtains were drawn. However, even the mundane tasks of housekeeping offered the maid solace. She knew about the very reason that was keeping her master awake, and perhaps the ability to perform chores allows her to savor what little stability that was left in this world.

"Ah, welcome. Please, make yourself comfortable."

"Or else what, Meido-san? Are you gonna draft me as another one of the Mistress's sex slaves?"

Marisa was not in a good mood. Mugen had gone missing for the past two days, and nothing revealing had happened since. If only there was something that could inform people of what to expect, of what the fate of Gensokyo would be. The Border of Gensokyo, the world being in danger of disappearing, by now, Marisa had been hearing the same topics in her conversations, and the same questions being asked repeatedly. Needless to say, it was all starting to become annoying. Naturally, everything comes down to the Dragon, which suddenly decided to just vanish, much to everyone's convenience.

"The Mistress is no longer… er, was never in the mood for that."

"Wait!"

A third person was in the mansion salon.

"So many things are happening outside, but Onee-sama won't tell me anything about them."

Flandre Scarlet had just flown up from the stairs leading to the basement.

"I was waiting for someone to offer me a hand."

"Hai, Flandre-helper, at your service," said Marisa as she bowed. "But I'm not smuggling you out."

"Hm? Why do you think I'd want to be smuggled out?"

"Hm, good question… That certainly wouldn't help you learn more about everything that's going on." She wiped her mouth and stood up. "Ah, thanks for the special tea you made. I've always wondered what it feels like to gulp down human blood."

"Eh! -what?" exclaimed Sakuya. She rushed over and examined her guest's teacup. She sighed. "Well, it _has_ been a while since we had a visitor. Lately, I haven't been used to this sort of thing."

Marisa gathered her belongings. Sure enough, it had been a while since her last visit to the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Maybe the librarian knew something she didn't.

Marisa stopped in her tracks and looked up. Flandre was standing in front of the room's exit, a smug grin spread across her face.

"Hey, when I said I needed help, that isn't the same as wanting to be ignored," said Flandre.

"Huh?"

Marisa slapped her forehead in realization.

* * *

><p>Clutching her broomstick, Marisa swerved to the side. Barrages of diamond-shaped bullets rushed past her. After she was clear, she released a barrage of star-shaped bullets of her own from her free hand. Instead of moving to dodge, the vampire let her body collide with the bullets, which dissipated upon contact.<p>

"If I had known you wanted to play with me, I would've left a long time ago," said Marisa.

"That's why I didn't tell you at first," responded Flandre.

From her weapon, several glowing globes emerged and spread themselves across the area. The globes themselves shot out lasers that spun around an axis, while Flandre herself fired bullets from her hand. Marisa recognized this as the "Counter Clock" spell.

"So why don't you wanna know about the things going on outside? Isn't it important to know that the Dragon of Gensokyo has gone missing?" asked Marisa as she casted a spell card of her own: "Stardust Reverie."

In a split second, Flandre turned into bat form, appearing as nothing more than a small, normal-sized bat flapping in place. Except this bat was invincible. Marisa's spell dealt no damage, while Flandre's previous spell was nullified.

"Hnnh… that's interesting. But either way, none of that matters anymore," said Flandre after shifting back into vampire form. "Onee-sama says that everything will turn out to be fine. Besides, it's not like she's going to let anything bad happen."

"Oh? Is that so?"

As Marisa talked, she produced glowing orbs of her own from her hand. Revolving around the magician, the orbs shot out jets of star-shaped bullets of different colors. "I sure hope Onee-sama said something about not letting bad things happen to me either…"

* * *

><p>"So, there really is nothing to worry about?"<p>

Marisa was lying on top of a bookshelf. Below her was a reading table with sat the mansion's librarian, surrounded by books as usual. Nearby, Remilia was reclining on a cushion, as still as a rock, her eyes fixed at the ceiling. One can only wonder if such a timeless lifestyle was what allowed her to live this long.

"No, there's actually nothing to worry about," said Patchouli Knowledge blandly, without looking up from her book. "Of course, Remilia doubted me from the beginning, but this demon knows too little to decide on her own."

"Pache, I think you're forgetting about my ability to sense fate," Remilia pointed out.

"Remilia doubting you, huh? I think the little sister just told me something a bit different."

"Of course I didn't think it was that simple," said Remilia. "But just so that Flan doesn't get too excited, sure I'll lie. Isn't it great, Pache? Thanks to me, there's a believer in your theory now."

No answer from Patchouli.

"Hmph, well I think it's time to leave the librarian to her quiet reading," said Remilia loudly. "Well then." She flew out the exit.

Marisa peered over the bookshelf to examine the section Patchouli was reading from. From the looks of it, they were between two sections, one on the history of magic, and the other on scientific discoveries.

_So Patchouli had been gathering knowledge on the Dragon after all. But she didn't seem very keen on sharing it._

"If you're not here to steal books, go away," the librarian finally said.

"If you insist," sighed Marisa as she reached down and put a few books in her sack. Sensing this, Patchouli slammed her book shut.

"Get down here, will you?"

* * *

><p>"There is one thing that I'm sure of," said the librarian. She was hovering next to a shelf, rearranging the books Marisa had taken. "The Dragon does have the ability to keep Gensokyo in existence."<p>

"Whoopee!" Marisa leapt from her cushion. Then she paused. "How do you know?"

"The Dragon came here once."

"Oh, right…" Marisa recalled. "So, who won?" She was genuinely curious. Patchouli's deliberate silence answered the question.

"Here's my theory. If the Dragon has the ability to bend the rules of science and magic, then there isn't even a need for a Hakurei Border. Don't you see? If Gensokyo and the Outside world both follow the same laws, then the two worlds can coexist in the same universe."

Marisa scratched her chin in confusion. "There're two things that don't sound right to my ears. The first one's 'bend the rules' and the other's 'if.' Wait…" Marisa counted her fingers. "Actually, there are two 'if's in that statement."

"Well what do _you_ know about anything? I, for one, have personally seen her bend the rules," said Patchouli bluntly. "Would you believe me if it had a spell that's designed to be a sure hit?"

"No way…" Marisa gave it some thought. "But hey! Didn't the story go like… The Hakurei Border was created because the developing science of the Outside put a burden on the Dragon?"

Patchouli looked away and folded her arms. "No, it's definitely strong enough." After a moment, she added softly, "It did defeat me, after all."

"Hoho! Well, what am I waiting for? I guess I should also be busy bending them rules and saving Gensokyo with my hands tied. And that Reimu had better not leave all the fun to me either!"

Patchouli frowned. "But I was sick when I fought you, don't you remember? Also, I was really going all out during that match with the Dragon."

"Eeh? Somehow, I feel insulted."

"Give it up already. You're not going to convince me after all I've seen…"

Patchouli was certain the Dragon was able to support Gensokyo. Along with her encounter with the Dragon, the librarian had also done enough research to have confidence in her belief. However, there was nothing more to that. For the first time, Patchouli could not help having the feeling that she might have been dangerously misled from the beginning. But one thing was certain: Gensokyo still exists. And it may only be the last minute when the truth will finally be known.

* * *

><p>The humans in the village seemed to be friendly. The new girl set down her satchel upon entering the small room she had gotten permission to use. The owner of the manor, – Miss Akyuu Hieda, was it? – had told her that most of the humans had come from the Outside, though a few came from families residing in Gensokyo for many generations.<p>

Dangerous youkai avoid the village in fear of the even more dangerous youkai and humans keeping it safe. As such, the village seemed to be forever at peace. It was a place where all the townsfolk knew every other person well. Courtesy, consideration, and honesty were but a few of the blessings that dominated the village life, and any rational townsfolk would not dare try to subvert the relative calm, in fear of being shunned.

Not a very interesting assortment of villagers. Nevertheless, it was the girl's decision to become one of them. Yes, perhaps it was best if she lived out the rest of her life in the village. She had assumed that her "Dragon powers" would gradually fade away if she refrained from using them, and think less of them as well. But she could see this was already the case, as she could feel her powers slightly weakening inside of her.

* * *

><p>"<em>An Outsider, huh?" asked Akyuu Hieda. The two of them were standing at the entrance of the Hieda residence. "So, welcome to the Human village. My name is Akyuu Hieda. How should I address you?"<em>

_The refined-looking human looked not much older than her guest. Despite that, there was a hint of maturity in her tone, and her eyes reflected the look of someone much older._

"_Megumi will do." It was an arbitrary name, but anything could substitute "Mugen" for now. That phrase the witch came up with would just be too conspicuous._

_Akyuu raised an eyebrow. "Anyway, something about you seems a bit off as a human. Are you sure you're not a youkai in disguise?"_

"_No, I'm sure you're mistaken."_

"_There's no need to hide it, you know. After all, youkai are completely welcome in this village as long as it has no intention of endangering human life or fostering anti-human sentiment within Gensokyo."_

"_I don't really think I'd want to go and do something like that…"_

_The human rubbed her forehead in exasperation. "I don't know why, but trying to place my trust in you seems to take up a lot of effort."_

"…_That's not very reassuring."_

"_Okay, you can stay here for a while. But only so that I can keep an eye on you."_

* * *

><p>"Hmm."<p>

...

"What have you on your agenda... Mugen?"

...

...

"Oh, she's not called Mugen anymore?"

From stranger's point of view, it would seem like the lady, sitting cross-legged and holding a parasol, was conversing with a sunflower. It just so happens that, that was exactly what was happening. Such a thing to happen was rarely abnormal in Gensokyo. Except for the case that this youkai was not normal.

Yuuka Kazami waved her hand promptly. The sunflower patch, which at the moment before seemed to stretch for miles all around, vanished completely. All that remains of the barren landscape was a structure in the distance, the Mugenkan mansion.

"Truly, a shame. That she would give up such an flavory name for a mundane one at that. For once, I thought my Mugenkan had suddenly become the new trend in town." The flower youkai sighed. "If only I had observed her sooner, I would've known what had given her such a delightful name. Well…"

Her gaze fell towards the mansion.

"That narrows down to about two people."

* * *

><p>AN: Yes, I know: two things. (1), it's been forever since my last update. (2), saying that this chapter is "short" would be a mild way of putting things…

Well okay, confession: I procrastinate. Also, it's that time of the story where you have events all piled on top of each other and you have no idea where to take things next. Such is the case of this story, sadly.

Well, the good news is, classes are over for this semester. And all that's left is finals. (Bahh, that wouldn't necessarily be good news, would it?) What this means for you is, less waiting time for the next chapter, obviously (hooray). That is, of course, assuming that this fic's next chapter is actually worth waiting for.

…I've said too much. Anyway, you've probably seen this before, but comments, criticisms, concerns, and/or suggestions would be highly appreciated.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I do not have rights to any part of the Touhou franchise.

* * *

><p>"Youmu… please continue what you've been doing."<p>

"Hai."

It was night at the Hakurei Shrine. Reimu had gone to bed early after a long day of visiting anyone who might have heard of Mugen. It had been a week since the Dragon disappeared, and most of all the youkai and humans Reimu knew were beginning to care less and less. Maybe if everyone just pretended that nothing had happened in the first place, everything would just be normal after all.

It just so happens that this point of view was not held by the visitors at Hakurei Shrine. Yuyuko Saigyouji stared into the moonlit horizon as her servant leapt into the distance. She sighed.

"Isn't she wonderful, Yukari?"

The ghost princess spoke softly, so as to not wake the two shikigamis of the border youkai, who were fast asleep at their master's side.

"My Youmu, believing anything I say, and doing anything that I ask."

Yukari Yakumo did not answer. She gave no sign of having heard Yuyuko speak, as her body looked as if it were frozen solid. Actually, she had been sitting in the same position for more than a week now. Seeing that her border-fortifying spell required even more concentration than ever, it was highly unlikely that she should break her concentration then.

"You know," continued Yuyuko. "Too often, I find myself wondering… You and me, which one of us have the better servants? Or which one of us has been the better master, for that matter?"

Still, silence.

"Oh, my apologies. Have you lost your ability to speak by this point?" asked Yuyuko, worried.

The border youkai suddenly smirked. "Funny for you to be bringing up that question. So… you would like to compare your half-ghost servant with my shikigami, do you not? How very timely…"

Yuyuko set down her drinking cup, maybe a bit too quickly. "Is there something I should know?"

"But you know, Youmu said I'm not supposed to tell you."

Yukari quickly brought her sleeve up to stifle a laugh.

"Oh, no. You probably weren't supposed to know even that."

This time, Yukari was the one who was denied a response.

"Yuyuko. It was during one of those daytime naps you always to take. I was protecting the barrier as usual, but suddenly someone gave me a soft nudge. I opened my eyes, and there was little Youmu right next to me. Next, she said, 'Yukari-sama. The Dragon has told me that Yuyuko-sama is indulging in my trust. It makes absolute sense. You are her good friend, are you not? Tell me what Yuyuko-sama really wants.'"

Yuyuko's turn to smirk.

…

"So I told her."

"Well… that's a relief. Truly, I can't imagine you doing otherwise," said Yuyuko. She calmly picked back up her drinking cup. But something moving in the distance caught her eyes. "Oh, she's back!"

Sure enough, Youmu's figure could be seen approaching. As the half-ghost landed on the shrine grounds, Yuyuko hurriedly flew over to Youmu.

"Welcome back, Youmu~! Oh, how I missed you so!"

"Here's the border essence for Yukari-sama, just Yuyuko-sama asked," replied Youmu. She unsheathed her Roukanken and planted into a crevice on the ground. A shockwave started to slowly spread out in all directions.

Youmu shifted her gaze at Yuyuko, who smiled in response.

_Yuyuko-sama indulges in my trust. But even so, I am indulging in her trust as well. At least, that was what Yukari-sama told me. All Yuyuko-sama wants is someone who trusts her, and someone who she can trust as well. This is who we've been to each other all along. And, it makes sense. Well then… with no second thought, I must proceed with duties as usual._

"Huh…?" Yukari stared down at her hands as she absorbed the energy. "This one's weaker than the last. I'm afraid Gensokyo is running out of border essence."

She sighed and shifted her gaze back into the horizon.

"I sure hope the Dragon will show itself in time…"

* * *

><p>The view of the night sky was perhaps the best on the grounds of the Moriya Shrine.<p>

Being at the summit of the Youkai Mountain did have its practical advantages. Sanae Kochiya lay on the grass, her mind too clouded with thoughts to sleep. Strewn before her eyes were a vast assortment of stars and constellations. Not just any stars, but the same ones that had also dominated the sky of the Outside.

Far too often did the shrine maiden gaze at the sky when she was still a middle-schooler in the Outside. Although Sanae had very few remaining memories from the Outside, she remembered thinking about the existence of other worlds beyond the one known to her, with the very mysteries of the universe seeming to give her the right to wonder. The night sky had once been a glimpse of endless possibilities. Now, it was a relapse into the past, one of the few remaining things that reminded Sanae of where she came from.

"…They don't need us."

It came out as a murmur, but it wasn't soft enough to escape her companion's ears.

"Hm? Did you say something, Sanae?"

Sitting before the Moriya shrine building was none other than the resident goddess.

"Kanako-sama, do you remember how hard it was to gather faith in the Outside?"

"Of course. That was one of the reasons we moved to Gensokyo in the first place."

"'Whether it is lost or forgotten, chances are that it will end up in Gensokyo.' You've heard of this saying, right?"

"…Why, certainly."

"But we're the ones who are able to come here. As divine beings, we're embodiments of faith, are we not? Does this mean the Outside has no use for faith anymore?"

"I see. So that was what you meant by 'They don't need us.'"

…

…

"Is that it? You don't have an answer to that?"

"No, I don't believe I do. But I do wonder, would you be so foolish as to consider returning to your former life?"

"…What if I am?"

"Oh, nothing in particular. I'd figure that if it was you, you would know exactly what to expect of it."

Sanae didn't answer. Kanako's was right, at least to the best of her knowledge. The moment they set foot in Gensokyo… No, rather, even before that, they had already become forgotten. It was the reason they came, and the reason they were able to as well.

But how did it become this way in the first place?

Why had the Outside lost its use for faith?

…_Well, it could be any reason_, thought Sanae, in a lighter tone._ Even having lived in the Outside myself, I'm not less clueless than anyone in Gensokyo. It could be the changing social construct, atheism, technology, science…_

One thing was certain, though. Faith had become almost nonexistent in the Outside. But how so?

Let's start by defining faith. Loosely speaking, it was the possession of beliefs that holds no evidence for their backing. But why would anyone think so irrationally? There was no definite answer. No, actually… the person who comes the closest to knowing the answer would be the believer himself. But even he would be unable to speak for himself, for his faith would be sheltered in a place buried deep inside, beyond even his own comprehension.

Such a secretive place hardly existed in the Outside anymore. Society had become more and more interconnected, and people knew more and more about each other, and about the universe. And as the days progressed, the mysteries of the universe faded away, unnoticed.

The secretive domain in which faith resided became a burden. There was no longer a need. No longer a need for secrets, false beliefs, odd dispositions… Rather, people strove to let out their secrets. Naturally, a person's secrets were his most interesting aspects. And by displaying them he can win over the surrounding people's attention. After all, it was a basic requirement in an increasingly connected society.

Ah, that was enough digression. Let's just say… there was eventually no more room for faith in the Outside, and leave it at that.

…

A smiled tugged the corners of Sanae's lips as she closed her eyes to sleep. Trying to come up with a sensible reason for the demise of faith had taken a toll on her mind. Fortunately, she had finally come to an answer she was comfortable with. But there was still one lurking question.

What was she, the shrine maiden of Moriya Shrine, to do in this situation? At this rate, it was only going to be matter of days before Gensokyo was going to vanish. Would she come face to face with the Outside once more?

No, there was something that could be done. After all, she was a divine being, with the ability to control faith. And there was only one god in whom Sanae could place her faith now.

…And it was neither Kanako nor Suwako.

* * *

><p>The bright afternoon sun greeted her eyes as she left the middle school building. A number of uniformed students were chatting on their way home, or probably somewhere else to hang out. The girl waited by the doors, anxiously looking about. The next thing she knew, the last of the students had left the building.<p>

"Excuse me, miss. The building's closed, so you should probably be heading home." A guard in charge of closing the gates was pestering her to leave.

"R…Right, sorry."

The girl turned and left the school grounds.

For Megumi Edano, it was starting to get a little annoying by this point. At times, she would just forget herself in a situation, and become completely unaware of what was going around her. And she would find herself holding the strangest beliefs, such being afraid to touch an umbrella in fears of it turning into a youkai, or not wanting to be left alone in the dark, which she thought would then make her permanently blind.

Of course, she knew there was no reason for those things to happen, and she also knew they were never going to happen. But it never felt so fun just to pretend…

"Edano-san, Edano-san!" A boy about Megumi's age had just caught up to her, pausing to pant. To Megumi's relief, she recognized him as a classmate. "Why do you always walk so fast everyday…"

"Oh, Kyuuri-Kaburi! I'm sorry, I thought you weren't coming." (A/N: Kyuuri-Kaburi translates to "cucumber-hat")

The boy pouted. "I told you stop calling me that." He reached up to his head and took off his cap. It was a green baseball cap with the picture of a cucumber. "I'm wearing this because it's the rules. Every Kappa in my river wears this kind of cap."

He was a Kappa, in human form. Megumi was the only person able to see him, to the best of her knowledge. In school, he would always be seen sitting in the back, since there would be no empty chairs.

"Hm? Then that's a problem," said Megumi.

"…?"

"I'm going to have to call every one of you Kyuuri-Kaburi's."

"But that just makes everything confusing! …Huh?" Kyuuri-Kaburi studied Megumi's face. "Is something bothering you?"

"…My grades went down over the past couple of days. My parents would get mad, and they would try to teach me. It doesn't feel nice…"

"Sorry, can't really help you with that. We don't teach the same stuff down the riverbed. All we do is guide your boats, help your fishermen with their catches, make sure your dams don't break, and all sorts of boring stuff."

"No, that sounds interesting. Mind if I come over and see you guys in action?"

…

"Hello?" She turned her head to look at him, but he was gone.

_Honk! Hoonk!_

She was in the middle of crossing a street, the traffic sign on the other end having switched from a "Go" to a "Stop." Quickly, she resumed her hurried pace.

_Great, yet another reason why I shouldn't be doing that._

* * *

><p>…Was that a dream?<p>

No.

Megumi shut her eyes again, trying to un-see the traditional Japanese room, complete with the sliding doors and tatami mats, all of which belonged to the Hieda residence.

As hard as it was to tell the difference between memories of a dream, and memories of the real world, Megumi could tell, whatever she had been seeing was no imagination. Subsequent memories of the Outside flooded back into her head, although she was sure many more memories remained missing, especially when she was unable to even know about them.

A human from the Outside… Yes, that was who she was.

That was the truth wasn't it? The middle school she went to, the Kappa being a figment of imagination. And this Gensokyo was just extension to it. Another haven she created from scratch, existing entirely in her imagination.

Megumi suddenly felt a pang of disgust. Most of it was directed at herself, for her own naiveness, at being so prone to believe such an absurdity as Gensokyo. And the rest of her disgust was at her own situation, that of being unable to escape her own imagination.

_No_, she decided. _Today, I'm ending it all._

With a new determined look, she rose out of bed. A soft sound could be heard in the closet. She slid it open.

Inside was a quivering Sunflower fairy. With a high-pitched shriek of laughter, the fairy flew around the room in a few loops before disappearing through a slit in the skylight. Something about that shriek reminded Megumi of an old lady, but she shook off the thought.

"What was that…"

But that was hardly of any importance. It was time to greet the day with a bit of imaginary tea with her imaginary host.

* * *

><p>Fast update, isn't it? Well… yes, if you compare it to the month-long waits between the previous chapters. Anyway, not much action in this chapter, but this story wasn't really action-driven in the first place. I'm more worried about violating the rules of how the canon Touhou-verse works, but that's just me. As if in response to my worries, this new print work called Symposium of Post-mysticism pretty much explains the relation between Gensokyo and the Outside… Let the tedious fact-checking begin. (Which kinda sucks because if there's any inconsistencies, there's nothing I could've done about it, since I started this story way before this print work came up.)<p>

Something worth mentioning – hooray for this story for reaching 5 story-alerts! Any sort of proof that people are actually reading this story, is like music to my ears… or eyes.


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I do not have rights to any part of the Touhou franchise.

* * *

><p>"Eh?"<p>

Yukari Yakumo opened her eyes confusedly. For a while, she could only examine her hands.

"Hm. Yes, very strange indeed," said a voice coming from behind the border youkai. "…I think they're called 'hands.'"

Marisa Kirisame had dropped by for a visit, mostly led by her curiosity. After all, there were only so many things one could do at this time.

"I just felt something slip from the Border," said the border youkai. "It seems the Border has already lost enough strength so that such a thing could escape."

"Eh? You mean there was still something inside the Border?"

"From what I could detect, they were memories. Mugen's to be exact. Well, that's my best guess, at least. The bit of memory an Outsider is supposed to retain when they pass the Border. The Dragon must have left them in there as it absorbed itself into her soul. Of course, I have considered the possibility of Mugen originally being an Outsider, so I can't say I'm surprised."

"…Okay," said Marisa slowly. "So what's that supposed to mean?"

"Isn't it obvious? It means Mugen will have more stories to tell us when you bring her back."

A sweat-drop formed on the side of Marisa's face. "Don't talk as if I can actually make that happen!"

* * *

><p>The steaming red tea sat on the table, still too hot to drink. Nevertheless, Hieda no Akyuu sat quietly across from Megumi, sipping hers.<p>

_It feels weird_, thought Megumi._ Am I having tea with someone who doesn't exist? Simply telling her would be easy, but… is it even necessary?_

"Megumi, is it? Are you really not a youkai?"

"Uh huh. I'm from the Outside."

"Then you should have no problem in the village. Many people here are just like you, you see…"

"I think I'm need of an occupation."

"Oh, that can be arranged. It's hard trying to clean up my house all by myself, after all."

Megumi looked around. Akyuu's place did seem to be a pretty big. But there was hardly any furniture, just as you would expect from a traditional Japanese house, so cleaning shouldn't be too hard.

"I don't know if you've heard of this, but… lately, there has been news of Gensokyo in danger of being devoured by the Outside. People are mentioning strange events like people forgetting about the existence of Gensokyo, and others losing their existence altogether. It's not like I believe any of this, but do you happen to know the reason for this?"

"There's one problem with that. A universe vanishing into thin air wouldn't be physically possible."

Akyuu smiled. "So you don't believe that either?"

"It's complicated."

…

Akyuu waited for her to say more, but was in for a disappointment.  
>"…Well," she finally continued. "About this whole disappearance of Gensokyo, it really is an interesting concept, but I'm sure it's not a possibility. I do wonder about the premise people are using to make this claim."<p>

Megumi saw her chance.

"…Maybe because Gensokyo never existed in the first place."

Akyuu gazed into Megumi's eyes to detect any hint of a lie or joke. Unfortunately for her, Megumi stared down at her tea, lost on thought.

The red tea wasn't so hot anymore. The quality of the tea was comparable to that of Hakurei Shrine. In other words, mediocre. As Megumi sipped her tea in contentment, she could feel Akyuu's curious stare burning her face.

"…Eh? How can this be? I've always been sure it exists."

_Well, that was to be expected_, thought Megumi. "This Gensokyo is just a product of someone's imagination. But there's no way anyone here would know that."

"Hm… That's a thought," said Akyuu, deciding to play along. "But that person would need to be very powerful. Imagine having to account for every single event that happens in Gensokyo... And that would also mean you're an imaginary being as well."

"Why are you still taking me seriously?"

"I try my best," she said with a wink. Megumi felt like bringing her head against the table. "Hm, I haven't told you who I am."

And so Akyuu told her about her unique ability as a Child of Miare. With this title came certain abilities, specifically having a perfect memory, and inheriting memories from ancestors, each of whom had the same ability. As such, Akyuu could trace her memory to events happening 1200 years ago.

"…In other words, this is the proof of Gensokyo's existence." Akyuu motioned at her head. "Alternatively, it can be seen as the reason why Gensokyo is able to remain in existence for all this time… but, that would be an extremely self-centered view. Nevertheless, so many things have indeed been seen and recorded. I just can't imagine everything popping out of existence just like that. Not once have I ever heard of such a thing happening, or in danger of happening."

"You've seen a lot, haven't you? Then you should know, some things are beyond your understanding. This might be one of those things."

There was no response.

Megumi looked over at her companion, who was sitting there with an empty teacup in her hands, a look of melancholy in her eyes.

_What am I trying to do?_

_I'm trying to convince Gensokyo's chief archivist that everything she has done has absolutely no worth._

_But… Is this really going to bring me back to reality sooner?_

"You might be right," Akyuu finally said. A stern expression took over her face. "Maybe Gensokyo has never existed… Maybe the person behind everything it will give up and forget all about it, and maybe nothing that goes on here really matters. But I do know one thing."

Smiling, Akyuu held up a bucket and a towel.

"You should get to work!"

* * *

><p><em>In the end, she didn't think it would ever happen.<em>

The front porch of the Hieda residence was larger than she imagined. Megumi looked around at the neighboring houses, most of which were also stylish oriental abodes. Humans could be seen doing maintenance on their own houses. Some of them bowed to her, to which she did the same in return. Naturally, some remarked on how they had never seen her in the village before, followed by giving a warm welcome.

Despite the town-like atmosphere, the whole area was forested. It was only at dusk that the trees, being dimly illuminated by the village lanterns, could give off an eerie feeling. The trees grew in abundance, and one could only wonder whether or not wild youkai could simply sneak in through them. Not that it ever happened. Already, Megumi had gotten used to the quiet atmosphere.

Gensokyo disappearing, or staying the way it is. None of that mattered anymore.

Akyuu was right. Cleaning was the one thing she was sure she could do, and thus she made it her task. Simply knowing whether or not Gensokyo was actually going to disappear was too iffy, let alone saving Gensokyo from such a fate. Perhaps if she stayed this way for just a little longer, the Dragon might find no use in dwelling inside of her, and would gradually fade away and reappear inside the Border, much to everyone's convenience.

"…And lo and behold! The Dragon has begun to partake in the secret art of cleaning!"

So a youkai was able to sneak in after all.

Megumi froze in her tracks. If the crow tengu journalist was here, that would mean everyone was bound to know about what she was doing.

"Aya…"

Aya Shameimaru landed on the roof on the Hieda residence, making herself comfortable on her new territory.

"It's been a while, Mugen. May I ask if everything is all right?"

Megumi looked up at the tengu, finding it strange that she should treat her as if they were old friends. She shook her head.

"My name is Megumi. That's the name I have been using, as a human from the Outside. And I don't have any association with the Dragon anymore. That's all the news I can bring you."

"That's cold…" remarked the tengu. "Well, actually! I'm not here to record news. I'm here to bring news to you instead."

"Hm?"

"It's a message from everyone. Reimu, Marisa, the Moriya household, and the Scarlet household to name a few. They're saying that they want you back, and that Gensokyo is in dire need of you."

"Hmm?" Megumi paused. "But shouldn't that be a message for the Dragon, rather than for me?"

"…Well, you may be right," said Aya. "But there's more. This is a message for Mugen the human. Everyone wants to say, they are sorry."

Megumi gave it a second of thought. "I don't think it's wise to accept an apology when I don't even know what is being apologized for. In the end, it's all about saving Gensokyo, is it not?"

"That, I'm afraid, is where my knowledge ends."

Seeing that there was nothing more to be said, Megumi resumed her chores.

"So what do you think?"

"Hm?" asked the tengu.

"About what's going to happen. Do you think everything will turn out to be normal? Is the Dragon going to end up inside the Border?"

"That would be a question I'm currently trying to find answers to."

"It looks like we do have something in common."

Aya smirked. "I don't call myself a journalist for nothing. The truth shall find me sooner or later. It's just a matter of time." She gave a thumbs-up. "Until then, you can count on me!"

_When the truth comes, you might not exist to know it…_

"The truth, you say?"

"Yup. Of course, there's no such thing as absolute truths. But there are many different kinds of truths, you see."

"No absolute truth…" Megumi threw down her towel and turned to face her companion. "So you admit to lying in your newspaper."

Aya shook her head vigorously. "No, no, no… What is in my paper is a type of truth. It's the truth according to what I know!"

_This sounds familiar. Why am I being reminded of the Dragon?_  
>"…Have you ever gotten the feeling of being able to manipulate the truth? You know, like the Dragon?"<p>

Aya frantically motioned a 'no' with her hands. "Don't compare my abilities with the Dragon! All I can do is perceive the truth with my own eyes. After all, it's the Dragon's job to create the truth." But she suddenly put her hand at her chin, deep in thought. "But hm… If I get enough people to believe what I write, will it eventually become the truth? Whaa-!"

Megumi had landed on the roof next to Aya and was now staring at her with the utmost interest. "But what about when you don't know enough about the truth? You still have something to believe, right? Otherwise, your articles wouldn't be so ridiculous."

"You're so mean!" drawled Aya. "But in those cases, it's simple. I just believe what I want to believe. The truth may be unclear, but usually everything builds up over time, does it not? Hey, I wonder. Is the truth something that's created all at once, or is it something that develops over time, just like the way we see it? You would be the one to know. Right, Dragon?"

"No."

"Hm?"

"I told you already. I'm not the Dragon." With that, Megumi got back to cleaning.  
><em>I'm just a person who's probably going to reawaken in the real world once this illusion runs out of steam.<em>

"Aw, that's boring. So, do we have an answer?"

"...I guess it can't be helped. Tell Reimu and the others I'll be returning tomorrow. And also… please tell them that they shouldn't expect much. Is that fair?"

"Of course! I'll be seeing you, then!" And with that, a gust of wind, then nothing.

* * *

><p>The cries of morning cicadas were the first thing that rang in Reimu Hakurei's ears as she woke up.<p>

She groggily sat up. Strewn on the floor of the Hakurei Shrine was a bunch of discarded cigarettes and empty bottles – litter from the Outside.

_Right, Aya said Mugen was going to be here today._

A faint commotion could be heard outside the shrine.

…A commotion?

The shrine door flew open.

"Oh, hey there, Reimu!" Suika Ibuki turned around to greet the shrine maiden.

A party… no, a festival was more like it. Fitted into the tiny space available on the Hakurei Shrine grounds. Thanks to Suika's power of gathering, this many guests were able to turn up on the shrine grounds.

On one secluded corner, Chen and Ran tended to Yukari, who was still in a trance from her spell. Next to them, the Netherworld duo sat in quiet complacency. By the table, Alice and Marisa were preparing some strange experimental food they had brought. The Prismriver sisters were rehearsing under a nearby tree. Under a larger tree, which provided a darker shade, sat the Scarlet Devil household. On the other end of the table, the Moriya crew stood around as Sanae prepared food of their own. Even the reclusive Eientei household had bothered to come.

"Oh, Reimu!" exclaimed Marisa. "Rise and shine! Everyone, the host of Gensokyo Grand Festival has arrived to entertain us! ...No pressure though."

"Gensokyo Grand Festival?" asked Reimu. "Can't you guys come up with something more mundane?"

"That's the most appropriate name of the festival," said Suika. "The purpose of this is to celebrate Gensokyo's existence, and all the wonderful experiences we had."

"'Celebrate while we still can…' Is that what all this is supposed to mean?" asked an exasperated Reimu. "I'm starting to feel uneasy about this festival's undertones."

"Still, a festival's a festival," declared Suika stubbornly as she got behind Reimu and started pushing her towards the scene. "And like all festivals, this one's meant to be enjoyed. We still don't know how everything's going to turn out yet, so quit worrying for once!"

* * *

><p>AN: We're nearing the end of the story. Just give it about 3 more chapters, at the most. 3 LONG chapters, as compared to the measly babble I've been putting out.

Ah… the end, finally in sight. Truth be told, I'm getting a bit bored with this story. You can probably tell by the lame humor attempts scattered throughout the latest chapters.

…

What's that? Can't find any humor at all?

…Well, ha. Go figure.

Not to worry. The finale is definitely something that might rekindle my interest enough so that I can write decently again. But... it's not that easy to write an ending that doesn't tick off some of the readers, right?

Oh, no, no, no. It shall be glamorous, and it shall keep you glued to your seats, no doubt!

(Now that I've set up high standards, all I have to do is follow through. … This is not gonna be easy.)


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I do not have rights to any part of the Touhou franchise.

* * *

><p>The air was cool and moist at the Hakurei Shrine - a befitting weather for a Gensokyo morning. Festivities were underway. That is, eating, eating, and more eating.<p>

"Youmu, pass the dumplings."

"Hai."

"Yum yum!" said Yuyuko as she ate quickly and neatly. How the ghost was able to keep from making a mess escaped her servant's comprehension. Her eyes shone mischievously. "Hey, Youmu... now is the perfect time to tell you a story."

Youmu cringed upon hearing that. Almost every time her master recounted past stories about her, it would turn out to be something embarrassing. Only to the servant, of course.

The half-ghost had just returned from another one of her trips to gather essence. Unlike last time, this was to gather and isolate the unhappiness of Gensokyo far from the shrine, to create a festive mood. As a result, plenty of fairies had made their way to the festival, not to be a annoyance, but to partake in festivities.

Why was it unwise to simply gather and clump together the essence of happiness? Because by doing so, only Hakurei Shrine would have happiness while everywhere else would only have unhappiness, the same principles behind the prolonged winter incident.

"Mugen sure is taking her time," remarked Marisa. "I hope she isn't growing too fond of Miss Akyuu."

"Nope, when I checked this morning, she already left," said Aya, sitting on a branch and snapping pictures. She lowered he camera. "Could she have gotten lost? I didn't want to search for her since I'm afraid of getting lost myself."

Reimu cast a suspicious glance. "Because?"

"The absence of borders," answered Yukari serenely. The gap youkai, with her shikigami, had walked over to join the conversation. "The borders between the many areas of Gensokyo are almost gone. It is now much easier to get from one place to another. As such, it is common to end up in an undesired location, or to be in two places at the same time."

"Yukari...? Aren't you supposed to be casting a border spell?" asked Reimu.

"I've done all that I could," she answered dismissively. "They are depleted. All the border essence inside of me, as well as contained inside Gensokyo. All I can do is hope the border I've created can hold on its own."

"But... doesn't the Hakurei Border gradually dissolve if you leave it alone?" asked Reimu. "Are you really just going to leave it like that?"

Yukari grinned and turned away, appearing to not have heard a single word. However, the shrine maiden was not missing out on much. There was nothing more to explain, after all. "Enjoy yourselves!"

Under a nearby tree, three poltergeist sisters were discussing the mechanics of a song they were about to perform. The oldest had short blond hair, had a tall, lanky appearance, and was dressed in black. The middle sister was shorter, not as lanky, was dressed in pink, and had long, curly gray hair. The youngest sister was dressed in red and had short, brown hair. All three of them had fancy hats to match their clothing.

"Merlin, your entrance is at measure 101," said Lunasa, the oldest. "I know that's a long time to wait, but remember your place, get used to the tempo, and try not to doze off before that. Lyrica, you have a fair execution, but you're in charge of the intro, so you better set up a good tempo for all of us."

"Eh? You're the one who's plays too slow," complained Lyrica, the youngest of the three. "Didn't you tell Merlin nee-chan to get used to the tempo?"

"I don't think my trumpet can keep with either your slow pace," Merlin motioned at Lunasa. "Nor your breakneck pace." She motioned at Lyrica.

"I play at the tempo which I think is right," said Lunasa stubbornly. Then she sighed. "All right... let's just use Lyrica's pace no matter how she decides to play it."

"Hooray!" cheered Lyrica. She grabbed the microphone. Upon closer look, inscribed on it was, "Kawashiro Heavy Industries, proud partner of Kourindou."

"Everyone! Please sit tight for our rendition of Tewi's theme: _White Flag of Usa Shrine_!" After the few seconds where the audience calmed down a bit, she began banging the first notes.

"No, no, no! That's not how it's supposed to be!" someone shrieked. A young girl with rabbit ears leapt into the performance group - Tewi Inaba herself. A moment of awkward silence followed as the sisters stopped playing. Everyone's attention was now on the youkai rabbit.

The youkai rabbit snatched the microphone and took a deep breath. "Everyone, sit tight for the correct rendition of my theme!" And thus commenced the song _USATEI_ (A/N: by COOL&CREATE), with the poltergeist sisters providing accompaniment.

"What is that...?" asked Kaguya, her hands next to her ears, as it she was about to cover them. With the rest of the Eientei crew, she sat the closest to the stage. The song was intriguing enough for her to continue listening. "PoFV? I've never heard of that before."

"It's just a randomly conjured term referring to the 60-years incident," answered a disinterested Eirin. "I wouldn't bother finding out where that term came from."

"Eirin, you make me feel so oblivious," laughed Kaguya. "Hm, where's Ramen-Dai? It sounds like a good place to eat."

"I know none of such place," said Eirin over the noise. "It's likely that some Outside place names have drifted across the Border."

But Kaguya hadn't paid attention. "I think I'll get some more dango-" She stopped in her tracks. Unknowingly, she had brushed shoulders against the last person one would want to see her with.

"Hmph," Mokou turned away. "W-Watch where you're going."

Kaguya gently brought her fist down on Mokou's back. "Remember the saying, 'never turn your back on your enemy?'"

"I hope that wasn't a challenge."

"Just a friendly reminder," said Kaguya innocently. "I'd really hate fighting on such an occasion as this." She put on a thoughtful face. "What is going to happen now, I wonder."

Mokou turned to face her enemy in anger. "D-Don't act so innocent. Just like me, you're also to be blamed for all of this."

"And so I am," conceded the moon princess. She recalled the times she and Mokou had spent with Mugen, where the girl was rendered utterly helpless the entire time.

Seeing that they are even, the immortal human gave a small smirk and walked away, and the two engaged in no further exchange.

Meanwhile...

"Ah, it feels so nice to be walking again!" exclaimed Yukari, strutting around the grounds, her face flushed a bright red. "I can't wait to sleep for the first time!" A few times, she looked as if she was about to keel over. Days without sleep plus alcohol is no good for gap youkai's motor skills, apparently.

"Yukari-sama is embarrassing herself," said Chen softly.

"Yes I know, but it can't be helped," responded Ran. Good thing they were behind the shrine, away from the commotion.

But around the corner, five figures were gathered at the shrine porch, all of whom were high and in hysterics.

"And remember?" asked Marisa between laughs. "Remember the time when I snuck some capsize mushrooms into Alice's concoction?"

"That was mean, Marisa," laughed Alice, wiping away a tear.

"It made people's vision flip 180 degrees so that they see everything upside down," continued Marisa. "For a few days, her dolls had to fly around with their feet in the air!"

"Good thing none of that is in today's banquet," chuckled Reimu.

"Oh, speaking of which, I wanted to bring that here, but I finally decided on something else. Call it my no-escape potion. It's all over everyone's food, so we're all in for a treat!"

The smile on Reimu's face faded, slowly.

"That sounds... frightening," said Sanae, shivering in excitement. "What does it do?"

Marisa raised a finger, as if lecturing. "Any beverage you drink will have the intoxicating effects of sake, even it has no alcohol."

A few seconds passed, with nervous glances within the group.

"Oh good," sighed Alice. "I thought you did something much nastier, you nasty… nasty witch." Then, with no prior warning, she turned and embraced the witch.

"Hey, stop... you're doing it too tight," said Marisa. "This is supposed to be a friend-to-friend hug, right?"

_Slurp!_

Alice had just licked the witch's face.

"She's obviously drunk..." Reimu muttered.

"Awesome!" the witch gave thumbs-up.

"Oi, Suika, did you hear?" asked Reimu, turning her beet-red face at the oni. "You can get drunk off anything now. That means you can try other things besides your gourd... Huh?"

But the oni had fallen asleep. She was lying upside down, her legs suspended by the porch, her body on the grass. Her gourd was positioned so that the liquid flowed endlessly into her wide-open mouth.

"Still prefer your gourd, huh?" Reimu sighed in exasperation and sat down. For a moment, she was left staring at a gushing sake river and listening to two magicians struggling behind her. After some time, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Isn't it great?" asked Sanae, in high spirits. "That we can have a party like this?"

"What do you mean?"

"It makes perfect sense," said Sanae simply. "Those of us who can do absolutely nothing about the incident can at least party freely. I think this is the best way to spend this time."

"I... don't know about that," Reimu frowned.

It was true that she was known to be a lazy shrine maiden. However, she had become famous over time as the greatest incident-solver in all of Gensokyo, although up until now, all she had to do was defeat a powerful opponent and simply coerce her to return things to normal. There was no such enemy in the current scenario, at least, none that she knew of. However, she couldn't shake off the feeling that somehow, there was something she could do, or could have done.

"It doesn't change the fact that Gensokyo is about to disappear, and that there most definitely is something that can be done, which I'm never going to do, because I have no idea what it is," she finally said.

"C'mon, you're going to miss out on all the fun, with the way you refuse to let go of everything. In a way, this party represents Gensokyo's culture. It promotes faith in our ability to live on. One might say, the merrier you are, the less likely you are going to disappear."

"That's just what you people who depend on faith want to believe," chuckled Reimu dismissively.

"Well, yes. In the end, it's just faith," agreed Sanae. "But if you look at it the other way, it is still a belief. And it wouldn't do well to underestimate the power of belief, would it? Besides..." A sneaky grin spread across Sanae's face. "You hold a stubborn little belief of your own."

"Oh?"

"Yes, you seem to believe that there's something you can do about the incident. Even when there's no proof that the world is going to be fixed if you perform a particular action... Fufufufu." Sanae brought her sleeve up in a vain attempt to cover her drunken giggles. "That's what I like about Gensokyo. Everyone submits to faith one way or another."

Reimu turned to face the shrine steps. "...Anyway, what's taking Mugen so long?"

The Netherworld duo.

"Oh that's right, I forgot to ask," said Yuyuko between her storytelling.

Youmu's attention quickly switched from embarrassment to alertness. "What is it, Yuyuko-sama?"

"For the sake of this merry occasion, I had you gather and isolate all the essence of unhappiness in Gensokyo. But I am curious. After gathering all the unhappiness, what did you do to it?"

"I simply delivered it to the place that would have the least effect."

"Hm?"

* * *

><p>The two of them sitting on a bench in the park. Despite their location, the noises of the city were still audible, though muted by the trees.<p>

One of them was a human girl, the other a kappa boy. Yet, they treated the other as if he or she was of the same kind. As such, both of them shared awkward moments of silence, characteristic of a couple who aren't yet sure of their feelings, but are interested enough to not mind spending time like this.

"...It's so hot today," murmured Megumi.

"Yea," the boy nodded, but said nothing more.

The girl hesitated before speaking again. "Um, did you say you were from the bottom of a river? You guys are lucky to live there, this time of the summer."

"Well... that's true." The boy sighed. "...But you know? Life is hard on the riverbed."

"Hm?"

"Us kappa don't live the way you humans do. As a species, we're more disciplined and robust. Every one of us are expected to work long, hard hours. All while avoiding detection of humans. It's not as easy as it sounds."

"So that's why you wear that optimal camouflage all the time."

"But you can still see me just the same," said the boy. "Weird. You seem to be the only human that can see through it."

"I guess I am... So, are you supposed to be working right now?"

"I got bored and snuck out," he said matter-of-factly.

"Ah..." Then, something crossed her mind. Blushing as if admitting something embarrassing, she said, "Um, you haven't really told me your name..."

The boy smiled mischievously. "It's a secret. Besides, you have no problem calling me Kyuuri-kaburi, so why this all of a sudden?"

"...Ah, good point."

* * *

><p><em>Those were the happy times...<em>

Megumi opened her eyes. Having good dreams about her past imaginary friend lifted her spirits. She wondered whether it was a good sign. Probably not, since it was never a good thing to succumb to a delusion.

The girl took a look around. The giant tree trunk she was leaning on for rest was now gone, replaced by a smaller cherry tree, its blossoms in full bloom. Nevertheless, the densely forested area she was traversing was still all around her. Except now, surrounding her was also mist-like creatures that swirled around - ghosts. Somehow, she had ended up being in two distinct areas if Gensokyo at the same time. No... three, if she counted the unfamiliar-looking dark town, full of crumbling buildings and dim lanterns, which lay not far ahead. The way the town was lit seemed to give the impression that it was submerged, or even underground.

_Right... Hakurei Shrine._

Seeing that it was not the destination she intended to go, she turned and walked in the opposite direction. None of her surroundings were familiar, so to say that she had lost her way was putting things mildly. It had been going on for a while now. One moment, she was in one specific area of Gensokyo, then her mind would wander off, and finally when she came back to reality, she would be in a completely different place despite not having moved an inch.

Trying to find a way to Hakurei Shrine was useless by now, so Megumi had no qualms about letting her mind wander off again. She could only hope the next place she would end up would be the familiar stone steps, or even anyplace else that would be of use.

* * *

><p><em>"Ah, Akyuu-san. How do you do?"<em>

_Megumi stopped scrubbing the floor upon hearing a familiar voice. Keine Kamishirasawa bowed politely as Hieda no Akyuu greeted her at the door._

_"I'm doing well. You look a little troubled, though," said Akyuu worriedly._

_"Well, yes, there is a bit of a problem. I can't seem to locate the village borders," said Keine, referring to the Human Village. "It started happening a few days ago. Whatever the case, I can't seem to hide the village from unwelcome youkai anymore."_

_"Is that so..."_

_"But everything's fine for now," Keine quickly added. "I'm here in case anything happens. And we have the youkai from the temple to try to calm down any enemy that goes on a rampage."_

_"That's nice to hear," said Akyuu. She struck a thoughtful pose. "The village borders being hard to locate... That's something that's never happened in my records. Oh, why don't you come in for some tea?"_

_"Thanks, but no thank you," Keine was quick to wave it off. "I'll just pick up some more textbooks for my class."_

_"That's fine. Also, I'd like you to meet my new maid," said Akyuu, remembering. She motioned at Megumi._

_Megumi let out a small gasp, not prepared for the introduction. She quickly looked away, but could already feel the glare from the were-hakutaku._

_"You..." The were-hakutaku's voice trembled as she raised a shaking finger at her. "What are you doing here?"_

_"Well, I appear to be cleaning Miss Hieda's house," said Megumi dismissively._

_"Is something the matter?" asked Akyuu._

_"That being over there," Keine breathed into Akyuu's ear. "...Is the highest God of Gensokyo."_

_"Uun?" said Akyuu mysteriously. "Well... that's hardly surprising." She hesitated, her face taking a much more serious look. "She did claim to know a lot about what is about to happen to Gensokyo... Are you possibly having trouble with the image of her cleaning my house?"_

_"What happened afterwards at Eientei?" asked Keine anxiously, ignoring the question. "How did you end up in the village?"_

_"...It's none of your business. I was just getting ready to leave." Megumi hurriedly stowed away the cleaning materials and got up. "Thank you for having me," she bowed before stepping out the door._

_"No, thank you, for your gracious humbling before a lowly human such as myself," said Akyuu, bowing in return. Then she added, "Come visit again! And if you're ever short on money..." Her eyes twinkled._

_"Er... Dragon," Keine called._

_"Do not call me that," Megumi reprimanded indifferently._

_"...Whoever you are," Keine rephrased. "I'm in no place to request you to save the entirety of Gensokyo."_

_Megumi paused, waiting for more._

_"Whatever you do, just try not to hurt Mokou, or Akyuu, or the peaceful humans and youkai of the village, or even Kaguya for that matter. I hope that is not too difficult a request... Mokou is a long-term friend of mine, and I've built up my life around this village. So, I would want to do anything to protect as much as I can."_

_Megumi simply closed her eyes dismissively and walked out the door without responding._

* * *

><p>"Protect? Is that the word you use to cover for your own selfishness?"<p>

Megumi trudged on, talking to no one in particular, and ignoring her ever-changing surroundings. At one moment, she was walking along the banks of a shimmering blue lake. At another, a snow-covered frozen mountain stream. Even the seasons seem to be missing their boundaries.

"And the Hakurei shrine maiden... apologizing. Is it so that I can try to save Gensokyo? All Reimu cares about is for Gensokyo's safety. Right... I remember. Her not wanting me to leave the shrine, afraid to let loose something big. Um-hm, she takes her responsibility seriously... Congratulations, good for you, Reimu-san."

Megumi slowed to a halt. The mood she was in immersed her in hatred, despair, and futile vengeance. She found no energy to continue.

That was it. There was nothing she could do in the first place. Heck, there was nothing she wanted to do.

Saving Gensokyo? Megumi let out a laugh.

What gave her, a person who owed absolutely nothing, an obligation to be worried about whether or not a delusion would cease to exist? Why should she, who had been taken advantage of multiple times, suddenly be expected to be a generous savior? And even if she did manage to bring Gensokyo back to normal, nobody would actually recognize that Gensokyo was ever in danger, just like Akyuu. And then what would Megumi be but just another creature partaking in Gensokyo's merciless game of survival?

While she sat crossed legged, a smile lit up the girl's face. It was a genuine smile, devoid of any signs of malice or resentment. Megumi felt as if all constraints had suddenly been lifted. The feeling of having no obligation was the embodiment of absolute freedom, although with a slightly melancholic note. As such, the smile was hollow, devoid of any happiness.

*Sob* *sob*

The sound of someone crying suddenly filled the misty air, and it wasn't coming from Megumi.

The dense fog made it hard to see, but she could tell it came from nearby. Megumi walked towards the source of the sound and came across a girl sitting on a rock. She had red hair tied in two ponytails, wore a blue vest over a white dress and carried a scythe.

"It's all over! I'm going to stay here forever instead of ferrying those ghosts!" she cried.

"Um..."

"The border between Gensokyo and Higan is wearing thin anyway, they can just float over. It's that easy!" She noticed Megumi. "What? Are you here to commit suicide? Well, go ahead! I'm not going to stop you. In fact, I really wish I can do the same!"

"...There's no need to do any of that," pressed Megumi disinterestedly. "And you seem to act like you're supposed to be doing something."

"That is because... she avoids her duties yet again," said a voice.

Megumi turned around to notice an approaching figure. The newcomer had green hair, long on one side, dressed in blue, and wore a crown-shaped black hat. In her hands was an intricately-patterned long object.

"Even here the cherry blossoms continue to bloom," remarked the figure. "There is beauty everywhere, even in sadness. Especially here in Muenzuka, where the essence of unhappiness has gathered. For someone with such an objective duty as I, to have come to this place... As transient as unhappiness is, only now can one realize how enticing it can be. Komachi, why don't you try leaving this place and continuing your work? This kind of atmosphere is not well suited for your task. Besides, you were never supposed to be here in the first place."

"I'm staying! Until I figure out how to commit suicide!" she wailed.

"Komachi..." said the new figure sternly.

Komachi gave one last scowl before upping and sauntering away.

The blue-clad figure sighed. "That was worrying. For one, she had never outright misbehaved in such blunt manner."

"Um," Megumi started to ask. _Right, I should head back._ "Sorry to bother you, but do you happen to know how to get to Hakurei Shrine?"

She turned to face Megumi questioningly. "Why would you like to go there? All they are doing is having a party."

"A party...?"

"As much as they would like to have you, there should be no reason for your wanting to return. You think of yourself as someone who is given an unfair amount of responsibility. And those at Hakurei Shrine are the very people giving you that responsibility. Moreover, they are only driven by selfish reasons. 'Save Gensokyo, so we can live on, and continue to be selfish,' or something like that. Is this not how you think?"

Megumi hesitated a bit and took a few steps back to keep her distance. "Yes," she admitted. "That's what I think. But... why do you know all this? And why does it feel like you're lecturing me?"

"My name is Shikieiki Yamaxanadu. I can see all of one's misdeeds in his previous life, and I judge the sins accordingly. Whether a person ends up in heaven, hell, or the Netherworld, deciding one's fate is my responsibility."

"So that makes you a Yama."

"Correct," said the Yama. "And I had not expected any less of you to know. That, and... I needed very much to have a word with you."

A pink mist began surrounding the area, indicative of the Yama's powers. Not before long, Megumi had the feeling of being placed in a magical void, with only the two of them as inhabitants. That was Shikieiki's way of ensuring there was no escape for her subject.

_Another being who wants to convince me to save Gensokyo? I guess I can afford to listen, just this once._

"That's fine," Megumi finally said. "But before that, let me tell you that there's no way I can stop Gensokyo from being devoured by the real world."

"I do not know for sure whether or not you are capable of doing so. But that does not change the fact that..." Shikieiki extended her palms to cast a spell. "The time for judgment has come."

A number of gray spinning vortices, known as Danmaku Judgment, appeared in the playing field, and the occasional stray projectile, upon contact, was converted into a bright, yellow sword.

"If it's a battle you want, then I don't have much of a choice," said Megumi, who floated upwards, getting into stance. The pointed bullets were too dispersed to be on target, but Megumi knew she still had to be cautious.

The Yama only smiled gently. "Consider this scenario," she lectured. "A powerful entity makes an appearance in a small world and puts it in danger. All this is done without the consent of a particular human, who has little choice but to be its container. And then, after a few days, the entity quietly goes back to where it came from with no further escalations. And the tiny world is safe. ...Now then, what are your thoughts?"

_Zip!_

A yellow sword barely missed Megumi as she veered to the side. Megumi prepared to fire her own bullets, but the Yama had escaped Megumi's field of vision.

"...Why do you ask?" Megumi was still searching for the enemy.

"As much as you wish for that to happen, it is highly unlikely," said Shikieiki, her voice coming from somewhere behind Megumi, and the girl turned around, to barely dodge a group of large blue, high-speed bullets.

"Curses and Blessings!"

Megumi's green and white bullets shot forth. The dense pattern easily overwhelmed the Yama, who could only resort to blocking the attack with her rod of remorse. The explosions knocked her a few meters back before she escaped the line of fire.

"Consider this," said Shikieiki, visibly scathed, but not looking tired in the least. "Would something as powerful as the force inside of you really manifest here, just to go back to where it came from?" She extended her rod of remorse at the girl. "The fact that you have no particular intention with those powers... is, in itself, an anomaly."

Megumi suspended her attack and lowered her arms. "Explain."

"You," the Yama started in a stern tone. "You are quite the narcissist."

"..."

"Yes, in your mind, everything is centered on you. Your focus is entirely on your own purposes and your own dilemmas, as well as how everyone else have been wronging you. As such, you can only fret about your situation and your lack of a purpose."

The Yama glowed brightly and slowly floated further up.

"Here is what I can deduce. Having a strange power placed inside of you, with no choice on your part... That can only mean one thing. You are but a piece of a puzzle. A pawn with limited capabilities. There have been duties laid down for you, to which you have been utterly unfaithful."

"Duties? Me?" A slight, mocking grin broke across Megumi's face. "But this world isn't even real. It's all just my imagination. The real world is where I come from and it's where I will return. Am I right, illusionary Yama? All you do is find things to accuse people with, or even make things up for your job. You're the one who should realize how limited you really are. But that shouldn't matter to you, right? After all..." Here, Megumi's voice started cracking. "You have a job to do."

Shikieiki closed her eyes in dismissal. "Guilt Sign 'Wandering Sin.'"

From somewhere close to Megumi, hundreds of high-speed bullets were launched in all directions from a single point.

Remembering that this was a battle, Megumi barely dodged the bullets. She ripped out a spell card for use and surveyed her surroundings.

From directly in front, the same large blue bullets.

"Embodiment 'Absolute Truth,'" Megumi called. Her hands positioned at the Yama, she let loose the beam that never missed. The area shone brightly for a few seconds. Then, everything calmed down as Megumi's spell resided.

...

"You are strong," said Shikieiki, her clothes smoking from the attack. "Truly a shame, for you to be misled in this way."

"Why are you still lecturing?"

"You are distraught by the selfishness of those around you," continued Shikieiki, ignoring the question. "And you envy those with an occupation or a well-defined role in which to take solace. And from that, you have given yourself the task of dispelling the illusion of Gensokyo. Such is the goal that you are most comforted by, even when it seems so uncertain."

The Yama's face darkened to a stern look.

"Well then, I ask you this. What can be more 'real' than a world whose fate lies completely in your hands? What can be more 'real' than a world that you can freely manipulate and shape with your powers, and that you are fated to judge? Does the Real World really deserve that title?"

For a moment, the images of waiting alone next to the school gate, as well as poor test grades, flashed across the girl's mind. Although it was a world she was bound to return to, she wasn't sure if that was what she wanted. Until now, she had never considered the possibility of having a choice.

"I..." Megumi was unsure how to respond. But the Yama did not let her continue.

"And even if you believe none of that, people, illusionary or not, are still people. Their individual existences may not matter to you, but they themselves take their existence for granted. Duties, illusionary or not, are still duties. And the Dragon, illusionary or not, still has a role that must be played."

The Yama softened up a bit. "It will be difficult, but you must learn to accept selfishness. I, myself, have been doing so for these past millennia. True, that selfishness is practically inevitable in all living beings, but if you look hard enough, many things will be justified. Even selfishness. That is why I must refrain from accusing you of such a thing."

"How?" Megumi whispered. She was sitting on the grass by this point.

The Yama fixed her eyes on the girl, waiting for more.

"How can someone like me be a judge? Why didn't the Dragon choose you to be its container? I can't always tell right from wrong. ...You've seen it, haven't you? How I fail to make sense of other people's selfishness?" Megumi hesitated before saying the next part. "...All the sins I've committed?"

"Judgment... is not a choice but a duty," the Yama's tone regained its severity. "I can give no reason for the Dragon being inside of you, instead of me. Maybe it is precisely because you cannot tell right from wrong. But that should none of our concern. Now is not the time to be wondering why you are in charge of judgment. Now is the time to pass judgment!"

Stone-faced, the Yama raises her palm towards the sky. "Lie 'Tongue of Wolf.'"

From her palm, a tremendous barrage of bright blue bullets shot in all directions, followed by a homing stream of red bullets.

Megumi barely had time to react. A few of the bullets hit her at the side of her body, causing an explosion that wiped out the remaining bullets.

She readied her last spell card, deciding to wait for the right moment to use. But it was increasingly difficult, with denser and denser amounts of long, high-speed bullets headed her way.

Over at the Yama's side, Megumi's Curses and Blessings was slowly taking its toll. She still had several spells left, but decided not to use them.

"Now… finish me."

"...Huh?"

"Although this is a judgment…" said the Yama, breathing heavily. "It appears you are confused as to which one of us is receiving the judgment."

"You mean..."

"You must learn not to ignore facts. And the truth at present is this. You are the highest god of this realm. That, and my very existence is in your hands, correct? It would be highly immoral for someone as lowly as me to act as your judge."

"But you can't just let me..." Megumi trembled.

"Have you any resolve?" The Yama sounded more questioning than stern. "Do you still doubt your superiority? A weak one, I must say."

With a reluctant groan, Megumi used her spell card. "Sea, Sky, and Rain Sign 'Nature's Decree!'"

The area dimmed, as if the Megumi's spell sucked in all the energy in her surroundings. The bullets were slow at first, but their density and the pattern's expansion made it seem all the more menacing.

_For someone as powerful as she..._

For a while, the magical void was consumed by a giant whirlpool of blue bullets, while lightning lasers twisted in all directions.

_To stoop this low before me._

The spell lasted for about a minute, followed by an series of rapid explosions. Not before long, the two of them found themselves back in Muenzuka.

...

_Is this the feeling of true faith?_

*Cough* *cough*

"Ah, quite a tiresome battle," said the Yama, brushing dirt off herself. As much as she wanted to appear to be not tired, she didn't seem to mind having a visible limp. In addition to that, the Yama was becoming more and more transparent.

"Um, where are you going?" Megumi barely had the strength to be standing. After a while, she gave up and reduced herself to all fours.

"Oh, I am simply returning to Hell. Having taken enough damage, my body is automatically transported there to regroup. In any case, you..."

"Huh?"

Even now, the Yama was keen on lecturing.

"Your judgment of me is not yet over. That was merely a preliminary test. A gauge of how much I was able to persuade you. The rest of my fate, and Gensokyo's as well, is entirely up to you."

"...Ah," a hesitant response. "But... how can you be so sure?"

"Proof of the Dragon's power."

"I...Is that so?" Was she referring to the incident with Suika? But how can one save Gensokyo with just that?

"Your name, Miss," replied the Yama. "Megumi. Which, according to your memories, was also the given name of your past self."

Megumi's eyes widened in realization. "I see... So that's it. ...Megumi is the name I thought up for myself at the Human Village."

The Yama nodded. "If you recall correctly, this happened before your memories came back to you. And if it isn't a coincidence that your past self was also named this way... It can even be said that, during your entire history in the Real World, your past self was named Megumi precisely because you thought it up just moments ago."

The Yama paused, noticing the grim expression on Megumi's face.

"That's right," said the Yama complacently. "Such is the Dragon's true ability... Control over causality."

And with that, the Yama vanished.

"W-Wait!" She was struck by one final realization.

_But the Dragon will cease to exist along with Gensokyo anyway! It will never have existed._

_My powers will have no use at all._

The girl sat back down and curled into a ball.

Memories of Gensokyo were not all pleasant.

Regardless, they were something Megumi might have to bid farewell to. She wondered how Reimu and Marisa would react if she ever saw them again. And don't forget Sanae, and even Patchouli. Maybe they were even worried if she was all right.

Megumi chuckled. Of course she was all right. She was the Dragon. For the first time, she wanted to meet her new friends again, even if it was only so that they can calm down a little. Even if it meant putting them under the illusion that they can still be saved.

*Clap* *clap* *clap*

"Marvelous, simply marvelous."

It was the voice of a senior lady. The silhouette of a figure with an umbrella emerged behind Megumi.

"Who's there!" Megumi leapt up from her spot, but just as quick, a couple of plant roots shot up from beneath her and pulled her down.

"My, my. Getting all tensed up on your own? It's bad for your spirit."

A woman with shoulder-length, curly green hair, a red plaid skirt, a white umbrella, and an ageless face strolled elegantly before the constricted girl.

"But I must say, that was quite a delightful battle. You really taught Enma-sama the true meaning of pain." The woman chuckled. "Well, I know who to thank for making you such an easy catch. Truly, a relief..."

The woman spun around blissfully. "At last, the flowers of Gensokyo are free to bloom."

...

_What can this clown possibly want?_

"What do you think you're..." Megumi said between her struggles. True to the woman's words, she didn't have enough energy to brute force her way out.

"The higanbana of Muenzuka... the cherry blossoms of the Netherworld... the wild suzuran of the Nameless Hill, and finally... the sunflowers of Mugenkan. Oh!" The woman acted as though something had just crossed her mind. She rummaged through her sack and took out a bag containing what looked like seeds. "Well? What do you think?" she asked excitedly.

"Who..."

"Yuuka Kazami." The youkai bowed. "Pleased to meet you, Mugen."

* * *

><p>"Yuuka, what are you doing here?"<p>

Late afternoon at Hakurei Shrine. The celebrations had calmed down a bit at the Gensokyo Grand Festival, but none of the partygoers had gone home yet.

Reimu Hakurei was there to greet the new guest on the shrine steps.

"Shoo, shoo! Go away," said Suika, stumbling alongside Reimu. "No one invited you."

"Oh, I did not come for the celebrations," said Yuuka, behind a smirk. "Look, you even let my Sunflower Fairies partake in the fun." She motioned towards some of the partying fairies.

"Hm," Reimu was left scratching her chin. As someone this powerful, and so little-known, Yuuka Kazami was not someone Reimu usually trusted. But given the miko's drunken stupor, she probably needed a full ten minutes to make a simple, sound judgment. Which was, of course, following Suika's wisdom.

_Bam!_

The miko and oni were blown back some ten meters after the flower youkai launched a Flower Shooting charged shot at the duo.

"And that is for taking so long to make up your mind," Yuuka scoffed as she stepped into the shrine grounds. "Now, where is it? Where is it?" She flew from tree to tree, apparently in search of something.

In her seat, Remilia looked around. "Sakuya, what was that sound?"

"I don't know, but someone seemed have just attacked Reimu-san and her oni friend."

The vampire yawned. "What's the use in telling something so boring?"

"Hai, my apologies."

Meanwhile, behind the shrine...

The shikigami Chen and Ran were trying to wake Yukari from her stupor.

"Yukari-sama, Yukari-sama!" called Ran. "It's Yuuka. Yuuka's here!" Her face was pale from fright, as Yuuka's power was well known, perhaps on par with Yukari's powers themselves.

"Yuu... ka?" The gap youkai was barely able to open her eyes. "What does she want at a time like this?"

"I'm here to save Gensokyo," said Yuuka matter-of-factly. She was now standing right in front of Yukari.

Yukari shifted into sitting position, wide awake now. "Hmm, I take it that you mean something completely different."

The flower youkai looked cross. "How absurd! I really meant what I said. What do you think I was meaning to convey? That I'm here to destroy Gensokyo? What insolence!"

"Hmm?" Yukari was far from believing the youkai before her. "You see, Chen? Ran? The most important step in fooling people is to first mislead yourself, just like Lady Yuuka."

The scowl on Yuuka's face intensified. "Very well... Just wait and see, the savior whom you dare insult in such a lowly manner."

"Oh! I know why you've come," asked Yukari suddenly. "You wanted to tell us what you have done to Mugen."

"...Mugen belongs with me!" the flower youkai yelled. "She deserves me more than any of you!"

"..."

Yukari hesitated, her face bearing a grim expression.

Yuuka paused and sniffed the air.

"The wild dandelions of the Outside," mused the flower youkai. "Mingled with the familiar scent of the Hakurei cherry blossoms. Ah it's here. It's here. I've found it!"

Her mind in a state of panic, Yukari tried to muster enough energy to stand up, but couldn't do so. Producing danmaku was out of the question.

"You put quite a lot of work into this barrier," remarked Yuuka. "Such a shame, that there was nothing more you could have done."

The flower youkai stomped on the ground.

The entire area dropped a little, indicative of the extraordinary strength in the youkai's leg.

Suddenly, massive green limbs, as thick as giant tree trunks, tore through the earth and shot upwards.

"You see, these roots are connected to a wonderful garden of mine. Gorgeous, isn't it? The wonders a garden can do if given the proper care. Now, my darlings..."

A malicious grin spread across Yuuka's face.

"Absorb the barrier!"

A strange sucking noise was heard as the trunks wobbled in place. Those standing near the shrine could detect energy traveling in a vortex towards the roots.

"No!"

The entire gang of partygoers had arrived at the scene, their hands and weapons aimed at the intruder.

* * *

><p>"Master Spaark!"<p>

"Sky Serpent!"

"Jack the Ripper!"

The explosion covered the area with smoke.

After it cleared, Yuuka was nowhere to be found. The giant roots still held their place, still making the noise.

"Damn it, that was a clone," said Marisa.

"Get rid of the roots first!"

There was a hassle as everyone hacked at the roots, both with bare weapons and with danmaku. People had to yell over the noise made by the plants.

"They're fortified with magic!"

"What do we do?"

"Yukari-sama!"

The border youkai sat in place, trying to appear calm.

"The Garden of the Sun," she said. "That should be where the real Yuuka is. Mugen should be there as well. Yuuka is... moving the Hakurei Border to her own garden."

...

*C-Crack!*

It was a strange sight to behold, to see the sky fill with large cracks, as if it was made of some kind of glass dome. Some of the clouds looked to be severed in places by the cracks, but were otherwise floating normally past the cracks.

In an instant, the giant roots withered, having no more Border to absorb. Then they shrank and vanished.

"What are we waiting for?" asked Marisa. "I'm coming, Mugeeen!" She got on her broomstick.

"Hold on, I'm right behind you!" called Reimu, as everyone followed suit.

Yukari's two shikigami had to hold the border youkai as they flew, since the youkai had no energy left.

"Ah, but there will be a border that we can't enter," realized Yukari. Although she said it too quietly for anyone to hear, no one was going to be discouraged anyway.

Above them, pieces of the sky began falling, the shards disappearing before they reach the ground. Beyond the sky appeared to be a black void.

* * *

><p>"Teatime!" a cheery Yuuka said as she set down the tea before the two of them. They were under a gazebo in the middle of a sunny field of sunflowers, not far away from Yuuka's mansion. There was hardly any breeze, and the few clouds in the sky did nothing to hamper the strong rays from the sun.<p>

Megumi sat on the opposite end of the table, giving her teacup a blank stare.

"I've already planted the seeds in the garden. Soon, the ecosystem will flourish! I'm so excited!"

"...Stop it."

Yuuka's attention was fixed at the girl now. "Hm?"

"Give them back. My spell cards."

"Now, now, Mugen," the youkai pressed. "There's no use to be so grouchy. We have made ourselves an exciting new world. And there's no need to be afraid of disappearing anymore! After all, Gensokyo is saved."

"Then why must everyone be trapped outside?" asked Megumi angrily without looking up. "Let everyone else in."

The youkai gently raised her finger and shook her head.

"Most certainly not. True, that the border has been downsized to be more effective. But alas... it is not powerful enough to protect everyone in Gensokyo." The youkai clasped her hands and smiled. "In other words, simplicity in small numbers!"

"...Then let me out," Megumi pleaded. If she were to disappear along with everyone else, so be it. "Anything but staying here with you!"

"Strike two," replied Yuuka, shaking her head again. "You are supposed to power the border with your energy. You wouldn't want me and my darlings to disappear, do you? And don't forget Elly, our housemaid! It would not be the same without her."

With a frustrated groan, Megumi left the table and made for the field.

"Eh? Where are you going? Please, be careful of the border!"

The tips of sunflowers flew beneath her feet as she went in a straight line. Not before long, she couldn't go any further, hampered by an unknown force. Although, a vast expanse of sunflowers still lay in the distance.

"Curses and Blessings!" Danmaku aimed at the invisible border. "Curses and Blessings! ...Curses and Blessings..."

"Stop it!" said a disgruntled Yuuka, following behind her. "At least use another object for target practice. Of course, the border won't yield, but ugh... the sight of you trying to tear it down." The youkai rubbed her eyes annoyedly. "Simply distasteful."

Megumi turned to glare at her captor, but immediately ignored her.

"Curses and Blessings..."

"So? How is my style?" asked Yuuka eagerly, changing the subject. "An infinite sunflower field that fools the eye. To make the garden appear to be bigger. And prettier, too."

"Curses and Blessings..."

"From the outside, one can only see a dense grove of trees. What perfect way to hide in the Outside."

"Curses and Blessings..."

"Pretty soon…" said the flower youkai quietly. "Pretty soon, they will disappear, and we will not remember."

"No…"

All of a sudden, the whole area shook slightly. After a few seconds, the shaking started again, like a small earthquake.

"Mugeeen!"

Marisa's voice was barely audible, as if coming from somewhere deep within.

"Mugen, are you there? You better be there!" That was Reimu's voice.

"Never mind, just help us blast through the barrier, okay?" called Sanae.

"Ahh…" It was a gasp of joy.

It had been a while since Megumi last heard their voices. A smile lit up the girl's face once she knew that they were still doing okay. Not only that, they were still keen on fighting.

"Hai! Curses and Blessings!" Again, the girl sent volley after volley.

"Everyone, clear out!" Marisa screamed, although it barely made Megumi's audible range. Followed by a pause. "...Master Spaaaark!"

At the Garden of the Sun, the shaking resumed, this time with more intensity.

"I'll set the trees on fire," Mokou shouted. "Everyone continue what you're doing."

"Master Spaark!"

"Fantasy Orb!"

"Straw Doll Kamikaze!"

"...Curses and Blessings!"

Not far away, Yuuka staggered backward. Her face paled as her hands lost their grip. With a thud, her umbrella dropped on the ground.

"No..."

She covered her face, revealing only her wide-open eyes.

"I don't want to disappear... Stop it... Stop it!"

The border shattered.

* * *

><p>Megumi gasped upon seeing what had become of Gensokyo. A deep, dark void had replaced the sky, despite it being mid-afternoon. Unlike the night sky, the pitch blackness hung low, as if hiding something above it that will never be seen. Only the surrounding fairies and magical devices provided the lighting for area.<p>

What was more strange were the cracks that once dominated the sky. Now they dominated the air in the form of three-dimensional cracks, as if black lightning had bore through the air and simply froze in place.

"Mugen!" Marisa leapt at the girl, who was immediately put in a tight embrace. "I'm so happy I can cry! Well, I really haven't cried in a long time, and I probably won't do it now. But believe me, I really can!"

The girl felt another hand on her shoulder. "Mugen, good job on not doing anything stupid," said Reimu, trying to hide her relief. "I can tell because... everyone's at least safe for now, and... we can finally see each other again... *sniff*" The miko reached up to wipe away a tear.

"I don't know," said the girl, who was known as Mugen once more. "So many strange things happened that it's actually easy to do something stupid once in a while. Oh, look, Marisa, it looks like your rival Reimu is better than you at something."

"Wah-ha-ha!" But Marisa was already bawling. Mugen could only laugh sheepishly.

Yukari stumbled towards the smoking mess that was whatever remained of the border.

"The border was not built to last," she observed. "It was impossible in the first place. Can it be..."

After examining it, the border youkai turned to face Yuuka.

"Yuuka, you never really were planning to keep on living with Mugen, were you? In any case, you can stop pretending now."

"How dare you?" the flower youkai gave a big scowl. "Of course I want to keep on existing. Just as much as every one of you." She pointed aggressively with her closed umbrella.

"Yuuka is right," said Mugen. "She was trying to impose her selfishness on me, almost like she was trying to get me to snap. Maybe you thought something would happen?"

"Well why else would I do that?" snapped Yuuka. "You're the one who was being a useless Dragon this entire time! Think of the poor children that will disappear with us! All the sunflowers!"

"It's okay," said Megumi calmly. "Everyone has a right to want something, and I've been underestimating the true value of that. Yuuka… really showed me her desire to live." Mugen then turned towards everyone else. "And so have every one of you."

Reimu stepped in. "No… that's enough, Mugen. We don't really want to force you to do something that you can't do."

"It's all right, Reimu," replied the girl. "It's perfectly fine to wish not to disappear. Even if it means having to impose your wish on me. It's my job, after all…"

"So, does that mean...?" asked Sanae.

"'The mysterious Dragon Girl saves the day!'" said Aya cheerily. "Is what I want to write. But it's also what I believe, so… please make it happen. Okay?"

...

"I'm sorry," the girl shook her head. "I have no idea what exactly can be done."

She looked around. Her eyes met the gaze of Reimu, Marisa, Yukari and her crew, and not to mention the Moriya, Eientei, and Scarlet Devil teams, to name a few. Some of them looked anxious, some were only curious, and some even looked happy.

_And they wait._

_Even when it looks hopeless, they wait. But to say the truth, there is little else they can do._

A smile tugged at the girl's lips.

"But I've found it. I've finally found desire..." A faint glow emanated from her. "Yes, I'm feeling it."

_Finally... the Dragon's power in its entirety. As much as it has decayed, it still rages._

_Even so, I am but a lowly human... with a duty to take solace in._

_There is only one thing to be done._

...

"I think I can do it," she declared finally. "I think I can save all of you!"

_I have to._

"Awesome!"

"All right!"

"My faith actually works!"

The crowd did a series of cheers, followed by applause. It was just as if celebrations from the party were still underway.

"But you know?" she added. Then she hung her head. "...I think I have to go. It's... the only way it can happen. Somehow... it feels like I might never see any of you again."

A brief moment of silence, with only the menacing noise of a breeze.

"Well, I guess this is farewell," said Reimu. "Wherever you end up, just... take care of yourself! If you don't, I'll come over and scold you!"

"Just remember us, okay?" called Marisa. "All the time. Every second. In your sleep! I'll also be making sure."

"Don't forget! If you disappear, it's my win!" called Patchouli suddenly. "Remember that!"

Mugen smiled. "But... no matter what happens," said the girl. "I will remember all of you! That's a promise!"

All of a sudden, a blinding light suddenly emanated from the girl, making everyone stagger backwards.

She took a deep breath. The light was too intense for her to get a glimpse of everyone else. A vast source of potential was under her grasp. Despite being overwhelming, the girl found it comforting, a feeling of almost being protected. Yes... it can be done. The sooner, the better.

"Well... goodbye."

A low rumbling noise could now be heard, and cracks emerged on the ground. Slowly, the surrounding area started to sink in, as if being sucked towards the void where Mugen used to be.

"Everyone, it's best if we leave the area."

It was Yukari's suggestion. The border youkai began retreating away from the scene. Everyone else followed suit, avoiding the cracks in the air to the best of their ability. "...If you want to survive long enough," the youkai continued under her breath.

Not long after, the area surrounding Megumi exploded, but the brightness didn't subside. The shadow of something huge emerged from the crater. With a flash, that "something" shot up from the ground towards the darkened sky. It did a few maneuvers in the air before being swallowed by the darkness.

From all over Gensokyo, the cry of the Dragon was heard.

* * *

><p>AN: Reimu, Marisa, crying? Yes, I agree, OOCness overload. Ouch indeed. But hey, I never said they were sober. =]

Still, I really need to work on character development. And skillfully blending it with the plot. But… what's done is done.

Also with more than 8k words, this is officially the longest chapter of the story. Judging that the story's soon to be over, and the fact that I had to keep kicking myself to keep on writing, this will probably stay the longest... A bit of filler at the beginning, but I really wanted to set the story going.

Finally... the end is in sight!


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I do not have rights to any part of the Touhou franchise.

* * *

><p>A lone figure hovered above the Lunar Mare. Watatsuki no Yorihime was at the edge of the Lunar Capital, her eyes fixed on the unending ocean beyond the border. However, she knew that the expanse of water was but an illusion. Like Gensokyo, the Lunar Capital was also hidden in the same fashion, with a border separating it from one common Outside. However, the Lunar Capital's border still held strong.<p>

"Toyohime said it was around here," muttered the Lunarian commander. "Where Yukari's servant entered the Capital. But, it's not that I need to strengthen our defenses anyway, seeing that... soon it should no longer be an issue."

A faint magical presence reverberated nearby.

"...?"

A small glowing object was floating on the water. Upon closer look, it was an origami boat the size of a toy model, and in it was a well-decorated red envelope. As soon as Yorihime's hand made contact with the letter, the boat disintegrated.

* * *

><p>"There appears to be no enchantment on this letter," said Watatsuki no Toyohime as she examined the object. "So it should be safe to open, I think."<p>

They were back in the Lunar Palace, the well-guarded abode of the commanders, seated in the study.

"Well, there's no doubt as to who this letter came from," remarked Yorihime.

"Hm, this is getting a little boring," said Toyohime, turning it over in her hands. "I'm opening it now." A ripping sound as she tore it open.

"Lemme have a look?" asked Yorihime as they both crowded around the desk. "Er, let's see... 'Dear Lunarian Enemies, as you know there exists a very tangible border between the Lunar Capital and the lunar Outside. There also exists a capability of mine to harness this border for Gensokyo's sake. Yes, to put it in rough terms, I can very well be stealing your border right now.'"

Yorihime paused in alert before continuing.

"'However, I can't honestly say that Gensokyo will most certainly hold on its own even under additional protection, because some of the power will be inevitably lost during the transfer. So I have decided to leave your border as it is. But there is another reason I wouldn't want to cast your Capital into oblivion. ...I want you to exist. Indeed, your proud Capital is where all of Gensokyo's magic originated, and it hurts to think about destroying such a legacy. In addition to that, Lunarian society is well-developed and can stand a fleeting chance against the Outside. Despite that, please, think of your very existence as one last favor from your Earthly friends. Because that is exactly what it is. Unfortunately, in just a little while, it is likely that we will never have existed. And you will never have read this letter. But, by just having you know the truth right this moment, my youkai heart is satisfied. Ah... no need to thank me."

Yorihime stopped reading. Her fist shook in anger.

"Just... who does she think she is? Saying she can just decide whether or not we exist?"

"Well, it does appear she has that capability," said Toyohime absentmindedly. She sighed. "In the end, she's just a youkai who wants to assert her dominance over us. …So, basically, the letter contains nothing of importance."

"Yeah, you're right," said Yorihime as she began tearing the letter apart near a trash bin.

* * *

><p>The darkness over Gensokyo was starting to dissipate, almost like a dissolving cloud. The people on the ground could barely make out an object through the cloud, but it was too obscured. However, small patches of it were visible in different places in the sky. Whatever it was, everyone was sure of one thing. It was huge. And it took up the entire sky.<p>

One more cry was heard, and next, explosions. The appearance of the Dragon triggered a major earthquake. Before long, some patches of land were up in flames.

Reimu leapt up into the air to avoid the ground. "What happens now?" she asked over the noise.

"I'm afraid I don't know," answerd Yukari calmly, but loud enough for everyone to hear.

"We wait, that's what we do," snapped Remilia, hovering nearby. "Isn't it clear already? We're saved."

"Weren't you the one who said the Dragon can't do anything to save us?" Patchouli asked peevishly.

"Now why would I believe something as inconvenient as that?" The vampire gestured in the air. "Besides, here's your proof."

The darkness had cleared up enough and the sky was now a shade of dark blue, which gave the feeling of the early hours of dawn.

"The Outside sky is finally becoming visible," murmured Yukari. "We have been brought to the boundary between dream and reality. A tricky area. This usually cannot be done. Not without the help of... That."

Yukari did not need to point. The thing had already caught everyone's eye.

The enormous figure above their heads.

It was a surreal image. Parts of its body were still concealed by ominous clouds. Other sections were moving to readjust themselves. The occasional bolts of lightning that flashed from its body lit up the sky for brief moments.

The Dragon's body had white, scaled plating. Small arms could be seen near its head, where its eyes glowed red and its teeth shimmered.

At first glance, its size looked to be infinite. If someone were to fly upwards towards the creature, they would not feel the distance between them closing, at least, not in their eyes. That was because the Dragon seemed to be part the sky.

Or, rather...

The Dragon was the sky.

"It's..."

No further words escaped Reimu's mouth.

The creature turned its head, and in the process, noticed the group. Then it let out a loud, earthshattering roar. The shockwave was powerful enough to make more cracks in the air, making the place look more and more like it was about to shatter.

"Over here, over here, Mugen!" shouted Marisa happily, waving both her hands, one of which was gripping her broomstick. "Hey, I think she sees us."

"We are saved!" cheered Suika, waving as well.

The entire cheering crowd was in the air by now, clustered into groups that separated the crews.

"It's true that this is indeed the Dragon God but... I wonder if this is still Mugen," said Sanae quizzically. The blue-clad shrine maiden floated in the air with her two goddesses.

"Good question..." said Yukari, as if musing over a riddle. A riddle whose answer she clearly knew. She held hands with both her shikigami, who were helping their master levitate. "What puzzles me is that the Border still has not been repaired. Instead, whatever remains of it is still disintegrating."

Confused, Reimu looked over her shoulder at the youkai floating behind her. "You mean there's still a bit of a border left?"

Yukari nodded. "If there isn't, then the people from the Outside would have seen us by now, and we would never have existed. But then, wouldn't that mean they will have never seen us?" The youkai scratched her chin in thought.

"Ehhh?"

It was the voice of a certain ghost. Yuyuko and her servant had caught up.

"You mean the Border has not been repaired?"

Reimu scowled at the border youkai's carefreeness, as well as the ghost's lagging behind. Without wasting an additional second, she turned to the one being that mattered.

"Oi, Dragon God."

...

The Dragon waited in silence, but there was no way to tell if it had heard the miko. Even the lightning that had been erupting in the sky came to a halt.

"I don't know what you're going to do, but make it quick, okay? Gensokyo's not going to last long, you know."

At that moment, the sound of shattering glass was heard, though it seemed to come from far away. Through the misty air, some objects were slowly becoming visible. But only their shadows permeated the mist. Nevertheless, that was enough to warn everyone of their presence.

In the distance... what were those strange things exactly? Whatever they were, Reimu was sure they were from the Outside.

_Sky...scrapers?_

_Can people in the Outside see the Dragon too?_

Reimu shook the thought off her head after seeing that the creature still hovered right before her eyes.

Only a low rumble escaped the Dragon's mouth, but nothing more.

* * *

><p>The image of everyone's anticipating faces flooded into Mugen's eyes. For the time being, she could see, hear, even feel everything happening in Gensokyo. Including the fact that the South side of the Border had weakened to the point of rendering the Outside world visible.<p>

_..._

_Ah... I'm sorry, everyone..._

_But the Dragon is going to disobey me for a bit._

A hollow apology. There was no way anyone could tell what was going inside Mugen's consciousness.

…_I can't seem to make it so that its existence becomes permanent._

_That is the one thing I cannot do, even when I can control causality. I cannot stop myself, and all of you, from forgetting that the Dragon ever existed, after it's gone._

_Also, it's a given that Dragon needs to exist in order for Gensokyo to stay strong._

_Ah, I can feel my powers fading. And it looks like this creature is just about to disappear too... along with everyone..._

_And if the Dragon never existed, anything I do now won't be of any use, you see. Maybe my name wouldn't even be Megumi, and I might even be a completely different girl._

_Ah, pardon my ramblings. I'm taking up precious time._

_So you're right, Reimu. I have to do something. As soon as I can._

_...!_

_That's it. That's it, isn't it?_

_No worries. I think I know just what to do._

_But... please._

_Forgive me. As I give the Dragon my final command._

* * *

><p>"Hey, Reimu, look," Yukari pointed. "It seems to be frustrated about something. Should we go comfort it?"<p>

The miko only stared silently, ignoring the youkai.

The Dragon raised its head and wound itself up, as if bracing for something, its massive body slowly moving into position.

It inhaled.

For a few seconds, there was complete silence.

* * *

><p><em>Destroy.<em>

* * *

><p>From what was left of the border, the sound of shattering glass was heard again. Except this time, it sounded much closer.<p>

For the Dragon, that seemed to be the cue.

A deafening roar, louder than all others, filled the air. The Dragon's body coiled faster, and with less elegance, as if frantic mode had just been switched on.

But this time, something else caught Reimu's eye. A strange, expanding white cloud had just emerged from the creature's wide-open mouth, descending quickly like a storm cloud. Some of people already in the air had to move backwards, intimidated by the resulting wind. Within seconds of the Dragon's sudden attack, a patch of land was... blown away?

Except this patch of land was almost a dozen square-kilometers in size.

"Look out!" Eirin shouted as she rushed up to join Reimu and Yukari.

"Eirin!" cried Reimu. "What is it... What is Mugen trying to..."

Her face pale, the Lunarian pointed at what was left of the landscape. The cloud from the Dragon's breath had dissipated, but the area was starting to fill with a sickly yellow-green smog.

"Mana-infused dust," Eirin explained. "The basic illusionary building block."

Nearby, Tewi hovered with her mouth hung open. Several earth rabbits were huddled around her in fear.

"Undetectable to Outsiders, yet occasionally appearing to them in very strange forms that defy Outside science," Eirin continued. "Watatsuki no Toyohime's fan is said to have the power to reduce an entire area to this element, having its power based on the very ability of the Dragons."

The Lunarian turned to look at the youkai earth rabbit.

"Tewi was there to witness it firsthand," she continued. "This is the first time I've seen this power used by an actual Dragon."

_So that's it? Mugen, are you going to reduce Gensokyo to ashes?_

"Then why would it want do this?" asked Reimu without taking her eyes off the creature.

"To be honest, there is little else it can do," said Eirin sternly. "That is, a Dragon in physical form. I just hope _she_ is not too distraught. ...Having to witness the fall of Gensokyo like this."

"...She?"

No sooner had Reimu asked, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Things have certainly gotten interesting." Yukari chortled, using a sleeve to hide her grin. "If I'm not mistaken, I would say our Dragon here is looking for a fight. Are you ready, Reimu?"

Another cry from the Dragon, a powerful gust of wind, and another patch of land disappeared into the mist.

The miko gazed deep into Yukari's face to search for signs of sincerity, then back at the Dragon. The border youkai hovered slightly above her, her hand outstretched. Nearby, the Scarlet Devil crew was already in battle stance. The Eientei crew had regrouped and was guarding their moon princess to the best of everyone's ability.

"This is for all my children." A lone flower youkai raised her umbrella and pointed it menacingly at the Dragon. "Especially the ones that you murdered just now." Yuuka put on a lamenting face.

"I sure hope this turns out all right," said Sanae worriedly. She held hands with both her goddesses, engaged in what looked like an energy transfer.

Reimu gave a determined nod and took the hand of the youkai before her.

Suddenly a huge, threatening roar. The Dragon had turned towards the one object that came the closest to impeding its movement.

Youkai Mountain.

A few seconds where the creature inhaled. Then the Dragon lowered its massive head to be level with the mountain. With a cry, it let loose its attack. As the Dragon's breath met the mountain, the curvature of the mountainside brought the white mist upwards towards the sky. At first, it seemed as though the attack was futile. But after a second, the mountain was gradually blown away, like a sand dune in the desert succumbing to the wind. Before long, all that remained was a thick haze of dust that spread outwards where the mountain used to be.

"Tenma-sama... Momiji..."

A lone tengu hovered in midair, saluting the destroyed mountain.

"...all the kappa from the stream, the rest of my tengu clan, and even you, Hatate."

Aya spoke in her usual urgent tone.

"I had always wished I had gotten to know all of you more. But, it just had to come down to this. I bid you farewell." She made a slight midair bow.

"Impossible..." muttered Kanako. "How can our shrine be desecrated just like that? Truly, it goes to say how insignificant we are, as gods. Compared to this one."

"Auuu, now we don't have a shrine to fight over," Suwako Moriya mock-complained. The blonde floated next to her fellow goddess. But their attention was suddenly brought to a certain border youkai.

"Everyone! Are you listening?"

The voice came from the youkai who floated above everyone else in the sky. Joining her were her two shikigami, as well as Reimu.

"The time has come to engage the Dragon!" Yukari shouted excitedly. "After giving it some thought, I have deemed it to be the path with the best chances of survival! Even more so, the Dragon itself appears to be willing to fight. And, as you know, one would do well to follow the Dragon's wishes. Please, do not hesitate to give it your all."

"Idiot," said Reimu under her breath. "How is fighting this thing the 'path with the best chances of survival?'"

"Oh, but it's not," said Yukari, turning to the miko with a mock-surprised expression. "That is, if by survival, you mean keeping yourself alive to see how everything turns out. But if you take a certain meaning that I was referring to... it's a different story."

Reimu sighed. Having to comprehend Yukari's vocabulary could be another impossible request in itself.

"Anyway, I just wanted everyone's cooperation." This, however, was something Reimu found easy to believe.

But the frown on Reimu's face didn't go away.

"Then what's with that circular way of talking? It's just like always. You know something all of us don't!" she accused.

But the border youkai held out hand to silence her. Then, Reimu felt her body brusquely grabbed by Ran, who had Chen riding on her back. The nine-tailed shikigami quickly flew Reimu and Yukari at high speed, away from the path of the Dragon breath's.

"No, that can't be Mugen," Reimu concluded with a bit of melancholy. "So she's gone after all."

The attack disintegrated the area directly under where Reimu and Yukari had been just moments before. Before the smoke rose to obscure the area, Reimu thought she saw another scene from the Outside, at the place that used to be a lightly forested area.

It looked something like... a street? Complete with modern houses, and parked cars sitting on the pavement.

Reimu squeezed her eyes shut to unsee that image, in fear of weakening the border further just by staring at and thinking of the Outside.

Right, it was time to focus on what was happening here. In the shrinking realm that still somewhat managed to pass as Gensokyo. The miko looked around and saw that the others had already mobilized for a counterattack.

"Mugen or not, this is still a battle," reminded Yukari. She turned to the others. "Get close to the Dragon's body so its attack is more likely to miss. I would recommend aiming for its face."

Upon hearing that, everyone shot upwards towards the creature, spreading out in the process.

"Way ahead of you." Marisa's fast movement gave her an advantage. But to the witch's frustration, a certain tengu zipped past her shoulder.

Down on the ground, a red-clad flower youkai had her feet planted on the soil in disobedience. Upon Yukari's curious look, Yuuka only flashed a toothy smile.

* * *

><p>"O' gods of the strong and wise, grant me thy glory. Bestow unto me the strength to achieve the impossible..." Reimu broke her trance and extended her palm at the Dragon.<p>

"Divine Art 'Omnidirectional Dragon Slaying Circle!'"

Making sure Yukari and her shikigami were next to her so they would not get caught in the Lunatic-leveled spell, the miko launched her assault. An expanding sphere of charms that shot in straight lines in different directions clouded the air. Red, yellow, white. Some of the bullets were traveling slow and condensed enough to be a hindrance to vision. Nearby, the Dragon's body was too large to dodge the bullets and ended up getting hit. Needless to say, the bullets bounced harmlessly against the creature's armor.

"Take this! Love Sign 'Starlight Typhoon!'"

From the other side of the Dragon, Marisa launched a spell card of her own, but the witch was far enough for her spell to not conflict with Reimu's.

Star-shaped bullets, both large and small, as well as rotating lasers, were fired by the witch. Soon, the Dragon was surrounded by bullets.

"That should confuse it enough to hide everyone's movements," said Reimu confidently. "Now we just need someone to fly up for the attack."

They were engaged in a tricky battle. Get too close to the Dragon, and one could easily be hit by its massive body. Gain a bit too much distance, and one would be unable to evade the Dragon's breath, which expanded as it was fired.

Reimu turned to look at the group that had clustered near the Dragon's neck and upper body. Everyone else was also shooting Danmaku as well, while at the same time, having to look out for stray bullets. It was not uncommon for one person to get in another person's way, nor was it uncommon for a one to hold back an attack, in fears of hurting a comrade.

"Gotcha!

Magicannon 'Final Spark!'"

Marisa had gotten close enough for the Dragon's head to be visible. Her gigantic laser, although tiny compared to the target - the Dragon's eye - hit its mark squarely, resulting in an explosion.

* * *

><p><em>?<em>

_Marisa..._

* * *

><p>The Dragon veered its head towards its attacker. Apparently, the laser surgery hadn't destroyed its vision. Marisa, sensing this, fell back just in time to avoid the Dragon's breath. However, she rammed right into a stray bullet. An explosion.<p>

"Uwah-wahhh!" she screamed has she and her broomstick lost quite some altitude.

"Migrating Spirit 'Fantasy Seal -Dark-!'"

Reimu tried to lure off the Dragon with another spell before it went chasing after Marisa. Radiating bullets, as well as color-shifting homing amulets were sent flying towards the Dragon's face.

Just then, a thought crossed Reimu's mind. "Oi, Yukari. How about using a barrier to redirect its breath?"

"That would be impractical," the youkai responded. "Even my borders cannot escape that attack. They are magical objects, are they not? ...Oh!"

Reimu gasped.

Team Border had gotten a bit too far from the Dragon. At just the right distance from the Dragon, all the creature had to do was to turn its head and launch its attack straight on target... sure hit.

A low growl in the air indicated that the Dragon knew about this.

"But, borders it is!" shouted Yukari as she made a motion with both her arms, just as the Dragon veered its head again for the attack.

And its head disappeared, followed by tremors on the ground. Yukari had summoned the last of her energy to produce a huge border to gap the Dragon's head straight into the soil, near where Yuuka was standing.

The body, still in the air, thrashed about wildly. The youkai and humans floating next to it had to fly off to avoid having to experience the monstrous force imbued within the Dragon's body. Parts of the Dragon's body slammed the earth, causing additional destruction.

"Reimu, would you mind if I borrow your powers for a bit?" asked Yukari as she extended her hand. As much as she was struggling to maintain her gap, she didn't want her tone to convey any sign of panic.

"U-Uh, sure," said Reimu as she began transferring her powers, still in awe at what had just happened.

"Now, let's hope Yuuka does her job..."

The flower youkai only stood in place with her umbrella, wearing a slight grin.

"Unforgivable, Dragon. You really are. Calling yourself the savior while wreaking destruction? Well. Destroy away! I can hardly care at this point. But, you see... I can't help it. Being able to offer Highest God the precious experience of pain, what other choice do I have?"

As she spoke, Yuuka held out her hands, and large roots shot forth from her fingers before burrowing themselves in the ground around the Dragon's head. No one knew what exactly happened to the head, but the roaring was loud enough to be audible even above ground and the tremors continued. All while the flailing in the air increased in intensity.

* * *

><p><em>Yuuka... and Yukari as well. They are a hindrance.<em>

_Reimu... didn't you tell me to hurry up?_

* * *

><p>Finally, the Dragon bore itself deeper into the earth, its body in the sky pulling itself through the border. Before long, all that remained was a gaping hole in the ground.<p>

Then, silence.

"Huh? Where did it go?" asked Sanae, who was in the air.

As if to answer her question, the earth began to shook violently again. But instead of continuous tremors, it felt like inconsistent underground explosions, each one shaking the earth for a short while.

"It's taking the Underworld out of business, and maybe even Hell as well," answered Marisa, who regrouped once more, rubbing her head. "Well. Nothin' we can do at this point."

Marisa then scanned the sky in a search for the Netherworld entrance. "Looks like the Netherworld was taken care of the first thing too..." she said after giving up.

"Marisa," said the nearby Alice. "It looks like we have to rebuild everything once all this is over. I wonder if we'll still end up as neighbors..."

"Hm... Neighbors? Haven't really thought about it. Come to think of it, wouldn't it be easier if we just build one house and share it?"

"...Ehg?" Alice's face reddened.

Suddenly, an explosion near the east, where a cluster of mountains was being leveled. The Dragon's mist-like breath now covered what was once Hakurei Shrine. A portion of the creature's body could be seen burrowing back into the earth.

"...And there goes Paradise, and Makai, I think," Marisa pointed out.

"Paradise?" Reimu questioned.

"Well, your title IS Wonderful Shrine Maiden of Paradise."

But the bantering was cut short.

Without warning, from directly under the group, the Dragon's head shot out from the ground, its mouth wide open. An earthquake rattled the area as the creature's entire body was emerging from beneath. Within moments, the Dragon was once again in the air. Meanwhile, the landscape surrounding the Dragon was caving in to form a giant crater - what had become of Former Hell.

But wait...

During the Dragon's way up, did a certain something go straight into the Dragon's mouth and down its throat?

"That flower youkai didn't seem to mind," said Yukari dismissively. "I am sure she saw it coming anyway. If only you saw her face. She was laughing all the way. Though, I do wish I can die as happy as her."

"...Look out!" called Reimu as she moved to dodge. At cue, Ran once again pulled her master to safety.

Reimu's pupils widened. Her eyes were fixed at the dissipating mist she narrowly dodged.

"Just then... were there... two other people?" The miko was at a loss for words.

"I saw them!" shrieked Suika as she fired danmaku. "I saw them too! I think they got hit!"

"...Who?" Reimu managed to utter. "F-Forget it, maybe we should fall back."

_They were there, weren't they? Those two unsuspecting people... They were right here with us… People who usually come to parties at my shrine. Will I never see them again?_

Her hands felt clammy. Her head was suddenly drenched in sweat. The miko was almost to the point of hysterics. Yet, she wasn't distraught enough to forget to dodge a section of the Dragon's body, which suddenly whipped towards her.

"Wonder 'Night with Overly Bright Guest Stars!'" Sanae, however, had decided to keep fighting. She shot forth a few slow bullets that home on target, as well as larger bullets that, themselves, shot lasers.

_Those two... aren't really gone, right?_

"Divine Punishment 'Young Demon Lord.'" Remilia's voice was heard, and more laser-shooting devices appeared. It didn't take long for the place to become filled with lasers. Lasers which did nothing but rebound off the creature's plating.

_...No._

The horrible truth dawned onto the miko.

_There's really nothing you can do about the casualties in this kind of battle, is there? Not even a spirit of any kind remains of the victims. Is this what they mean by permanent destruction... of souls?_

_How many more victims..._

_...That I haven't seen?_

"Eh? But isn't it already decided?" asked Yukari in a complaining tone as she floated over with her shikigami. "We fight the Dragon, no matter what happens."

She stopped talking as her shikigami helped her avoid another blast from the creature, while firing more danmaku.

"This is tiring, Yukari-sama!" breathed Chen.

"How long do you think it will take until you can move on your own, Master?" asked Ran.

"Oh, I don't know," Yukari responded despondently. "But good work so far," she said, cheering up. "Please keep it up."

The border youkai then noticed Reimu hovering idly nearby, remnants of nervous laughter on her face.

"Reimu~."

...

"Let me confess. The way you are thinking may be right. Everything we do now may indeed be for naught. And trusting me may be a mistake. But! There is one person I'm sure you would trust. And who would that be? Why... the girl inside that big dummy head."

She pointed at the creature's head, which had its mouth wide open, about to unleash yet another direct attack.

"Huh? You mean, Mugen is..." Reimu stopped talking as soon as she realized the danger she was in. Quickly she zipped upwards over the Dragon's head.

"Yuyuko, do be careful!" yelled Yukari as she, too, dodged the blast.

"Yuyuko?" asked Reimu in bewilderment as she looked around for the ghost.

…

"Youmu, Youmu! Where are you?"

Yuyuko's voice was heard calling, before being drowned out by the Dragon's cry.

Much to everyone's horror, Youmu, all by herself, was hovering smack in the center of the line of fire. At her distance, a sure hit was inevitable.

But the expression on Youmu's face was difficult to read, almost as if the half-ghost was hesitating, scheming, and panicking at the same time. She muttered something inaudible.

A split second later, she made a midair dash towards her master, causing the Dragon to change the angle of its attack.

Within the same second, both master and servant were no more.

"What did they just... a murder-suicide?" asked Marisa, who had stopped her attack in astonishment.

"Hmm." Yukari was, again, toying with her chin. "Knowing Yuyuko, she probably made her servant promise that if the half-ghost were to go, she would have to take the master along so that the master wouldn't be lonely. Touching, indeed. Maybe I should make a deal like that with my shikigami."

"No, I would never want that!" said Chen as she shook her head vigorously.

"I was joking," replied the youkai as she rubbed the nekomata's head.

"Yukari..." called Reimu in a panicked tone. "Is this... still within your calculations?"

The border youkai pouted in confusion. "Hm? Calculations? At a time like this? But you know, there's too little any of us can do in this situation. That's why I'm afraid calculations don't have much use. But you shouldn't worry too much."

Yukari floated over to Reimu to speak privately.

"I will tell you this," she said quietly. "It is highly likely... No, it just so happens, that none of us will survive to see how things will turn out. Until your time comes, just keep fighting."

"E-Eh? Exactly how do you expect everything to be resolved by telling me to do that?"

Yukari winked. "You'll see. Have fun!" She floated away to a safe distance for her shikigami to continue firing danmaku, leaving behind a pale-faced Reimu.

Just then, the cry from the creature was heard again. From behind the Dragon's head, the team from Eientei had been keeping it busy.

Above it, Eirin and Tewi frantically moved to keep themselves from losing their position. Only a few moon rabbits were left, desperately shooting bullets at the Dragon's head. The creature turned for its attack, and a second later, the remaining rabbits were gone.

"Resurrection 'Game of Rising!'" Keeping Tewi close-by, Eirin flooded the area with a variety of red bullets expanding in concentric spheres, as well as static, inert blue bullets. The density of the bullets made it hard to see. The Dragon breathed its mist in random directions in hopes of hitting the Lunarian, but ended up destroying some of the danmaku bullets instead.

_Tch, the way it aims..._ thought Eirin as she moved to dodge attack after attack. _How does it know where we are, even after I made sure its vision is blocked?_

"Rabbit Sign 'Bare White Rabbit of Inaba!'" Tewi screamed after Eirin's spell dissipated. The area was flooded with renewed bullets, this time white and expanding from multiple points.

Hovering beneath the Dragon, Reisen and Kaguya used the creature's body as a shield from Eirin and Tewi's attacks.

"Here, try putting this within the Dragon's field of vision," said Kaguya secretively. From her robe pocket, she handed over a Jewel from the Dragon's Neck - the same device previously used to nullify Mugen's power.

"Wha-... me? G-Got!" The moon rabbit pocketed the object, sweating profusely as she did so.

"If this doesn't work out, it's all your fault," frowned the nearby Mokou. Next to the immortal was Keine.

"Mokou, why are you following me?" asked Kaguya calmly, but without looking at her.

"This is a mess we both hold responsibility towards. Therefore, we should both take the issue into our hands." Mokou sighed, trying her best to show reluctance in working with Kaguya. "It looks like you and I are going to have to distract the Dragon, while Reisen can find a way to sneak up to its face."

Behind her, a hesitant Keine edged forward. "Well, I might as well go down fighting as well," sighed the were-hakutaku. Then, she added under her breath, "Besides, the only way things can go according to Mugen's little plan... is for all of us to be defeated."

Without waiting for a response from Kaguya, Mokou and Keine flew up towards the front of the Dragon, with Kaguya in tow.

"Mugen..." called Kaguya once she was in position to fire.

The Dragon paused in anticipation upon hearing her voice.

"I guess I owe you an apology."

"...Idiot, what are you-?" Mokou started to ask.

"All I had ever wanted was a world in which Mokou and I lived on, in the comfort of each other's presence. With no threat to our lives and our existence. Ah... I guess I can't expect you to do much for me anymore, but I just want you to understand, okay?"

"Y-Yeah, same here," stammered Mokou, taken aback by Kaguya's beseeching. She shook her head vigorously. "...But anyway! Everlasting 'Phoenix's Tail!'"

Fireballs gathered around the immortal human in the shape of a phoenix, while more fireballs zipped towards the Dragon's face.

With a roar, the Dragon unleashed its attack, wiping out most of the bullets and causing the team to move out of the way.

"Future 'New History of Phantasm -Next History-!'"

From Keine's palms emerged slow parallel-traveling bullets, as well as rapid red bullets that traveled on crooked paths.

Another Dragon's breath.

"And here we go!" called Kaguya as she moved again, eyeing Reisen to see if she was at the ready. "End of Imperishable Night -Paschal Moon-!"

Fast-paced bullets we're shot in all directions, with extremely narrow angles between the lines of fire. This was supplemented by larger, homing bunched bullets that targeted the Dragon's face in their own unique way.

As the Dragon turned its head yet again for another attack, Reisen swooped in from the other side, ending up only a few meters from the thick hide of the creature's face.

Within the line of fire of both the Dragon's attack, and Kaguya's spell card.

After steadying her trembling hands, Reisen threw the round, glowing object with all her might.

"J-Jewel from the Dragon's Neck!"

A blinding flash of light caused everyone to shield their eyes. All the nearby bullets vanished upon the sudden release of energy. The special effects lasted a whole ten seconds, with only the sound of magical energy at work taking up the air, drowning out all other noise.

"Ah!" Unable to see, Kaguya crashed into Eirin.

"Kaguya..." said the pharmacist warningly as the light abated. "That Dragon-taming device only works if it is used on a container for the Dragon, and if the wielder is inherently stronger than said container. All you have done is squander energy that would otherwise be useful, and momentarily stun everyone into a stupo-"

But Kaguya cut her short by laying a hand on her shoulder. A shake of her head. A content smile. But her eyes were fixed, not on Eirin, but on a certain immortal human. Before anything else happened, the last thing they felt was a strong gust of wind.

Six people, in one breath.

* * *

><p><em>Kaguya, Mokou.<em>

_I hope you're not too upset about not being able to regenerate from this. If the two of you can't live without the other, I hope you don't mind having to finally die together, and perhaps permanently vanish from existence together._

_..._

_You said it yourself, right, Eirin? That anything would be better than being a prisoner on the Moon? I'm sure Reisen and Tewi are in agreement. I really hope so._

_..._

_Kamishirasawa-san, you don't seem to mind departing. Is it because everyone else is also leaving?_

* * *

><p>Reimu groaned. By this point, how many people had been turned to dust? Or rather, how many people were <em>left<em>?

Just now, she had been blinded by a light, before watching a handful of them be blown away by the breath. The amount of bullets in the air made it hard to tell who exactly the victims were, but the miko was sure she had seen a figure with long hair and rabbit ears hovering directly in front of the creature.

Adding to her misery was the fact that she had barely avoided a blast that wiped out another bunch that had flown off into the distance to regroup.

Maybe keeping track of casualties was a futile task in itself.

"The vampire crew," said Sanae, noticing the general direction Reimu was facing.

"Not all of them were vampires," said Reimu. "And they called themselves Scarlet Devil. Your last minutes in Gensokyo, and you still don't know even that?"

"Hm, that doesn't change the fact that I'm a newcomer," replied Sanae. "Anyway, I saw it happen. The little sister begged to be 'sent somewhere safe,' by the Dragon, just like what happened with Patchouli in the beginning. The bigger sister looked frantic and was apologizing to her little sister all the way for lying. Lying about the Dragon saving everyone, believe it or not. She was sure everyone was doomed. I think she took the attack out of guilt."

The two miko flew side-by-side, navigating around the repeated blasts from the Dragon.

"Waiit! Wait for mee!" shouted Suwako. With Kanako by her side, she flew behind the two miko. Together, the two goddesses fired their danmaku in hopes of concealing their movement.

"I guess lying to a child for convenience can sometimes backfire," continued Sanae. "Especially if the so-called lie is actually the truth."

"...What is?" asked Reimu.

"The fact that the Dragon is trying to save us!" said Sanae excitedly.

She suddenly halted to a full stop.

"Huh, what are you...?" called Reimu, looking back.

"To be honest, I have no idea why we've been running. There's nothing to be afraid of!"

Reimu's face flashed realization. "You know something too, don't you? Tell me!"

The red gleam from the Dragon's eyes shone through the mist. The creature approached for the final attack.

Sanae shook her head. "If it's about this incident, I'm afraid I don't know much. But there's nothing I need to know in the first place. There is only faith that guides me."

The two goddesses of Moriya Shrine stopped alongside the blue-clad miko. They looked tired from all the running and fighting.

"Good work, Sanae," breathed Kanako. "You're finally starting to make sense. You have my backing."

"Take care, Reimu!" Those were Sanae's last words.

Sighing in frustration, Reimu turned tail and darted away, without bothering to watch the three of them be overcome by the mist.

_..._

_How can she just believe that everything will turn out to be fine?_

_No. It's not over. Not for me, at least._

_Not with so many unanswered questions._

"WWWWHEEEE!" Carrying her sake gourd, Suika zipped past Reimu, her fist drawn.

"Eh- Suika?"

There was a deep cracking sound as oni fist met Dragon plating.

"Ow... I just wanted to get a feel of how tough the Dragon really is," laughed the drunkard. The Dragon exhaled, and she was gone.

And once again, the miko was left staring.

"Ooh! That gave me an idea!"

The speaker was Marisa, who had arrived on her broomstick. She turned to her companion. "Hey, Alice. Let's figure out the coolest way to die."

"You first," doll magician offered.

"Hm..." The witch was instantly deep in thought. "This is gonna be hard..."

A few seconds pause.

"Hey, I think I know just what to do."

"...You can't be serious," said Reimu nervously. That someone she had known for quite some time can decide to end it just like that, was not all comforting.

The two magicians dodged an attack from the Dragon, to avoid a "boring" death. Then the black-white took a deep breath and turned to Reimu, who backed away a little as if by cue.

Nearby, the Dragon waited, glaring at the two and waiting for its chance. The two magicians were at the right distance to dodge its attack anytime.

"So Reimu," started Marisa. "What do you think of Alice? Doesn't she act a little funny when she's around me?"

Alice frowned in response. "As if! Marisa... Marisa's the one who likes doing strange things to me."

"Please... you two," Reimu wasn't sure how to respond. Were they aiming for death by argument?

"Like that time when she was drunk? You remember, right? How she was running her tongue up my face. It was scary."

Alice cringed. "Well... Reimu, you haven't seen how Marisa acts when she's visiting me by herself." she said. "She kept... stealing things!"

"Okay. What did I steal?" demanded Marisa. "I only took things that were rightfully mine. Marisa dolls! If you want proof of ownership, it's all in the name! They even looked like me. And you put weird dresses on them too! Haven't you realized? That black-white are the only colors I'm ever going to wear?"

Alice's face was starting to redden. "Well... ahem. Well, at your house, do you know what I found? Mushroom collections. But it isn't just that! You seem to have an interest in making love potions out of them. Also why are there hypothetical scenes you so meticulously wrote out to go with each of your potions, all of which had ME in it?"

"Well... er," said Marisa, angry at herself for letting Alice discover that. "If you're going to go that far, Reimu... this one happened a bit over a year ago. It's still fresh in my memory."

Alice's face paled immediately. It was a funny effect, especially since she was beet-red before. "Not that... Marisa?"

"I was pretty surprised myself, too," continued Marisa.

"Marisa..."

"But do you know what she did to me? She..."

Alice squeezed her eyes shut as she screamed at the top of her lungs.

"KILL!"

And Reimu never got to hear what Alice did to Marisa a bit over a year ago. Where Marisa and Alice used to be was now only the thick, fast-flowing mist of the Dragon's breath. The wind whipped up Reimu's hair as she stared. But she had had enough. Without losing another second, the miko flew off on her own before the Dragon laid eyes on her.

_Now what?_

_What's going to happen now?_

_Shouldn't something reveal itself already?_

_...Yukari, are you there?_

"Yes, did you call?" the gap youkai had appeared nearby.

"Yukari..." Reimu didn't realize she was speaking out loud.

The two stared into each other's eyes. One whose expression read pure anxiety, the other a calm, accepting expression.

Where were Yukari's shikigami? Were they overwhelmed by fatigue and...?

"It looks like we're the only ones left," the youkai then said aloofly. "Finally, it's time to end the battle."

"Is there anything I need to know?" Reimu finally asked.

Yukari shook her head. "We are short on time. Just come here and we shall take the last hit together."

A wave of disappointment swept over the miko. "N-No thanks," Reimu backed away. The youkai, however, didn't have the strength or will to follow.

"But, I don't want to go alone..." Yukari's tone suddenly had undertones of fear. "Reimu..." The miko thought she heard a bit of mockery in the way Yukari called her. But there was nothing the miko could do but keep her eyes fixed on her only companion left. The youkai's imploring eyes were the last thing Reimu saw as white mist started to take over her field of vision.

* * *

><p><em>Reimu-san... you're the only one left.<em>

_No worries. I will deal with you in good time, but I think you really need to see something._

_Observe. The truth you wanted so much to know._

_...I hope it suits your needs._

* * *

><p>"Huh?"<p>

The Dragon had stopped attacking. Slowly, with a low growl, it lowered its head, looking towards the ground.

Beneath them, small patches of forested areas stood idly - the remnants of Gensokyo. The rest of the landscape had been blown away by the Dragon's breath.

But... why was the yellow dust taking up weird shapes all over the place?

The areas that had been "destroyed" were now... reverting back into the Real World? There was no mistaking it. The mana-infused dust was reshaping itself, forming cars, houses, factories, and other Outside objects. Some parts of the "city" even contained people moving and walking on the street, and cars driven down the roads.

A city, created from scratch?

Reimu turned back to the Dragon. "This is your doing, right?"

It growled in response.

"Are you... easing Gensokyo... out of existence? That's it, isn't it?"

And it was exactly as she put it. From the dust that used to make up Gensokyo, the Dragon was creating an entire town. Not only that, it was creating the town's entire history as it worked, using its causality-transcending powers. So that the town would fit right into the Outside. So that it would always be, and always had been part of the Outside. It made sense that it was only in the boundary between dream and reality that this could take place...

"But... why do I still remember Gensokyo? All of those idiots who keep trashing my shrine... I know all of them. They still... 'existed,' right?"

The Dragon growled menacingly. It veered its head towards the miko and opened its mouth. Reimu, however didn't notice this.

"Ah, as long as an Outsider doesn't see us, all of us would have existed at one point or another. But, it's useless, right? After I'm gone... who's going to remember Gensokyo?"

After a second of thought, a sign of a smile finally crept into Reimu's face.

"Mugen," she laughed after her realization. "This is risky business you're doing. But you planned on pulling this off from the start, right? But then, what happens after the Dragon is gone..."

A pause.

Then, she added softly, "So you were never planning on restoring Gensokyo after all."

No sooner had she spoken, the Dragon took her out. Keeping her in existence for that long was merely due to the Dragon's goodwill, after all. Either way, it was ultimately inconsequential.

* * *

><p><em>Whatever happens after the Dragon is gone...<em>

_...Is not for you to know._

_And it isn't even for me to know either._

_But... I did my best. I tried making it so that one thing will hold true._

_That Gensokyo... will have existed._

_...That is all I ever wanted._

_Reimu-san, don't you understand?_

_Gensokyo is saved._

_..._

_Of course, all this makes use of a certain assumption._

_That throughout the entire future, even when the Dragon will not exist... it will have existed. At some point in time._

_I do wish that I can guarantee this... I do wish very much..._

* * *

><p>In the brightening sky, the Dragon peered down at the remaining small patches of Gensokyo. In those remaining illusionary trees retained the same folkloric creatures and spirits that dominated the area during the height of Gensokyo's lifetime.<p>

The creature inhaled, knowing just what to do.

* * *

><p>A lone shop sat in the middle of the forest, the surrounding area swamped by yellow-greenish smog.<p>

*cough* *cough*

"What is this dust?" wondered Rinnosuke. He opened the door for some fresh air, only to let in more of the particles. "These fine grains... I've never see anything like this from the Outside."

The creature in the sky caught his eye.

"That Dragon had been blowing and blowing for the past few minutes. It was probably trying to get something out of its throat. I sure hope it doesn't choke. Still... what is its true purpose in appearing?"

He sighed. "I'm too tired today. Maybe I'll ask Reimu or Marisa about it the next time they come for a visit."

He took a sniff.

"Its breath doesn't smell that bad, though. It reeks a little of magic… if magic were to have a smell. Who would have thought there is enough dust in its lungs to cover all of Gensokyo?"

He was sitting outside, enjoying a cup of tea. Little did he know that the Dragon had suddenly noticed him and his shop.

The cloud descended upon the half-youkai just as he was savoring the last drops in the teacup.

* * *

><p>The Dragon flew around, scanning the landscape for the second time. To its relief, it looked like everything had been taken care of. Good thing that Gensokyo was relatively small. Any bigger, and it might have missed a spot.<p>

But time was running out. The area's transition from dream to reality was almost complete. Soon, the Dragon would become visible to everyone.

...

No, it mustn't let that happen.

With a final cry, the creature suddenly froze in midair, like a suspended statue. Then, its massive body started to dissolve. The wind blowing over the suspended figure left a thick trail of shimmering dust that was quick to vanish.

In Mugen's consciousness, everything went black.

* * *

><p>Sometimes, reality hurts.<p>

Sometimes, reality affects people at their cores

And irreversibly change them.

But rarely do they ever think

Of assembling a different reality

One that doesn't hurt quite as much.

* * *

><p><strong>-End of Gensokyo timeline-<strong>

* * *

><p>Autumn.<p>

The afternoon was coming to an end, and the sky was well on its way to a darkening dusk.

Sixteen-year-old Megumi Edano sat on a park bench, alone. During her wanderings, she had ended up near the town boundaries. The street on which she had been traveling led to a dead end, beyond which lay a tiny park.

Behind the park, a dimly lit forested area. Almost complete darkness beneath the canopy.

_Now..._

_What was I thinking about?_

It was a daydream all right. A strange one too. Just hard to remember at the moment. She was sure it would come back sooner or later.

...

Another school day over. All her classmates were worrying themselves over whether or not they should go to college, or whatever they needed to do to get into a specific college. To Megumi, that was borderline territory. Meaning: hardly within the range of Megumi's "I-give-a-damn" categories.

Well, now that she had wasted enough time in a forgotten daydream (how more unproductive can you get?), it was finally time to...

Do what?

Megumi glanced around as she prepared to leave.

Then, she saw it.

Many times before, had she come to this park, but she had never noticed it before now.

In the dense forest beyond the park, there was something that looked like a hidden trail. In fact, it was so well hidden that one would not have noticed it without actually searching for it. If it had been summer, the dense greenery would make peering beyond a thick wall of plants impossible.

...Come to think of it, why was she peering into the forest in the first place?

Oh well. It was time to explore.

After struggling through the wall of tall grasses and weeds, the path was surprisingly plant-free. And a straight one at that, almost as if it led to someplace important.

Not far ahead, a steep hill lay directly in the way.

She sighed. "So much for becoming an explorer. This isn't gonna get me money anytime soon."

At a time like this, talking to herself was easier than Megumi thought it would be, especially with no one around to hear the embarrassment.

But there was something weird about the hill, specifically some objects jutting out on its side. Can't be sure. Hard to tell in the dim lighting. Let's take a closer look...

Stone steps?

Assuming they are, they hardly looked usable in that state of disrepair. Looks like some rock-climbing is in order.

With this much effort and time expended, whatever thing that was waiting for Megumi on the hilltop ought to be good.

And there it was.

Although it was covered with moss and broken in many places, the torii on the hilltop was still recognizable. The characters on the sign were not.

_A torii, huh? In other words, shrine territory._

Wait... the sign just might be legible.

"Hi-Hiroshi... Uruwashisa Shrine? Hiro-uruwa? Hirowa Shrine?"

Nope, she was never the scholarly type. It was useless anyway. One could almost never tell how an old Shinto shrine is named just from the characters. It was all due to irregular naming and those annoying obsolete readings.

"Let's try kun-yomi... That would be. Haku. Rei. Hakurei?" She repeated the name once more so that it naturally rolled down her tongue.

The warm feeling of deja vu. Where had she heard that name before?

Beyond the torii gate, however, was only more vegetation. Whatever Shinto honden/haiden that was there had long been obscured and forgotten. One can also just forget about figuring out whichever god the shrine was originally built to worship.

"Wait..."

Megumi paused.

"Yep, I've been here before." Now she remembered, the shrine path, the stone steps. She remembered it all.

The shrine maiden that worked here. She wore red and white, didn't she? The great incident solver. And she had a friend too. A witch friend, to be exact, complete with the broom and hat.

And then nearby, there should be a lake, with an island, which in turn had a mansion. In the mansion lived... vampires. Heheh.

Don't forget the evil moon princess and a certain evil immortal human, who mercilessly sought each other's death. The Moon even had rabbits.

And finally, the Dragon, watching over the land, and protecting it from the forces known as the Outside.

Yes, she had been here before. Perhaps a couple of years back.

But the memories she recalled seemed to take place in a world of its own. Come to think of it, this so-called "world" seemed to have much to do with the daydream she was just having. Although she couldn't be too sure, since it was still fuzzy.

"Even so... all that could not have happened in real life." The shrine here looked as if it's been abandoned for a century.

Perhaps... she had previously visited the area, and an entire world of imagination spawned. An entire world inspired by a real-life shrine that happened to have "Hakurei" as its name?

Now that she thought back, she did recall imagining things a lot when she was younger, didn't she?

"Kyuuri-kaburi," she laughed.

Still,

It was a good feeling.

Being a tourist in her own imagination.

Knowing that the little adventures that went on inside her head were always going to be there, waiting to be revisited.

Knowing that beauty indeed existed, even if it was imaginary.

_But... how long ago was that, anyway?_

_Oh, that doesn't matter. I've certainly come a long way..._

And she turned to descend the broken stone steps.

Her journey, finally over.

* * *

><p>AN: Well, that was fun.

Thanks for reading, you guys were a great bunch.

Look forward to more stories in the future!

...

Aw, who am I kidding? One more chapter! But just so you know, this chapter here can be an ending in itself, if you say so.

But... I've decided to add a short little conclusion to tie up some loose ends :P

And wow... didn't expect to write such long chapters. This one might even be longer than the previous one. I can only hope I'm not boring you too much.

Erm, is it right for 2 of my 17 chapters to take up ~30 percent of the story? O_O;


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: Touhou Project is the property of ZUN.

* * *

><p>Early evening.<p>

At the place where the fragments of imagination had gathered.

The place in which Megumi used to take solace, despite it barely retaining any traces within Megumi's wavering memory.

Its name was Hakurei Shrine.

A gust of clean forest air blew through the clearing, as if beckoning her to stay. Yet, she gave the shrine's torii one last look as she prepared to leave. But in the dim of the forest, again, something almost escaped Megumi's eyes.

"...?"

She approached the object carefully. It was hardly surprising that such a place would hold startling secrets such as this one. But upon closer look, it was nothing but a thick tree stump with a few scratches on it.

No, not merely scratches, but writing. Despite looking old, it was still legible. The girl bent down, tracing her fingers over the writing as she read it.

"'Located herein... the entrance to the other world" ...What?"

Megumi was left staring. She was sure she wasn't the one who wrote that. Or did she...?

"Who..."

Someone must have seen her coming here long ago, and then carved that message so that she could read it when she came back.

She sighed. With her aloof personality, she was just too easy to make fun of.

It's about time she changed.

...Well, she had already decided on that a long time ago. For quite a while, she had wanted to become... a better person altogether.

Still, it took her a while to learn to ignore her imagination, and it was moments like this that reminded her of her former days of "glory."

Nope, no use wasting another second at good ole Hakurei Shrine. More important matters were at hand. Several school projects were due within the next week. And some friends had invited her to karaoke.

Not that she didn't want to go karaoke-ing, but it was hard to have a say being with a bunch of people who decide everything on their own. And, from the way things were, a chance to hang out was always a must-go, no matter what her preferences. Such was the new set of disciplines she had laid out for herself.

But just as she was about to head back down the hill, again, something made her stop in her tracks. This time, it was the noise of someone clumsily climbing the rocks to reach the top of the hill.

* * *

><p>She looked slightly out of breath when she finally made it to the top.<p>

"Oh, so it is Hakurei Shrine after all. I sensed it coming from this direction. Looks like we already have a visitor."

She was a woman in her early twenties, had short brown hair and a black, old-fashioned hat. She was also dressed rather formally, and carried a handbag full of important documents. A researcher, perhaps? Despite her authoritative look, she was still rather short and young-looking.

"You are?"

"Usami Renko," replied Renko with a bow, which was quickly returned. "Pleased to meet you."

"Edano Megumi," replied Megumi. "...Not a good time of the day for a bit of exploring, don't you think?"

The woman smiled slightly before speaking.

"At almost 50 meters above sea level, with the exact coordinates as I remembered, this place here... I have had quite a bit of history with it." She tilted her head to look at the sky. "But the stars aren't visible yet at this time of the day. The remaining sunlight is still adequate if one really were to explore. But I would feel much more reassured had I known that I am exactly where I think I am."

"You're... no ordinary woman," Megumi deduced.

"No. Thankfully, I'm not," said Renko.

She rummaged through her bad and pulled out an employee ID. Since it was too dark to read it, she lit up an electrical lamp.

"Here. Chief Theoretical Physicist at JAXA. Despite it being my first year at the agency, they placed me at such a high position. I wonder if I can really make it."

JAXA, was it? Megumi thought she heard of it somewhere. Right, a space agency, she remembered. Advanced stuff.

"Don't expect me to know anything about that," Megumi waved her hands. "I'm at the bottom of the class when it comes to math and physics."

"Well, then you have something in common with Merry."

"...Merry?"

"But now, without further ado," the woman's face took on a new shade of seriousness. "I have a question for you."

Megumi gulped. Being questioned by a weird woman in the middle of a dim forest wasn't really in her list of expectations. But she had to admit... a schoolgirl exploring abandoned shrine property at early evening was certainly a cause for question. Come to think of it, what was she doing here in the first place?

"What are you doing here?" A mind-reading genius. Surprise, surprise.

"Well, uh..."

"Or, rather..." Renko waved off the question. "I don't have much of a right to ask that, since I appear just as suspicious, if not more so. But, you know about it, correct?"

"I know... something?" Although Megumi didn't know what she was referring to, she was had a gut feeling it was something she definitely knew.

"About the other world," continued Renko. "From all the data gathered from our experiences at the Sealing Club, Merry and I had come to a conclusion. And that conclusion is that within this Hakurei Shrine lies the very entrance to the other world."

Renko paused to take in Megumi's reaction. But the girl's expression was unreadable.

_That writing on the stump... It was her doing._

"So, what can you tell me about the world on the other side?" asked Renko.

...

...

"Well, I... You see..."

_What is going on? Is she talking about... that world? The imaginary magical realm? Ha... This is actually getting a little funny._

Meriko stared at the woman from head to toe, taking note of her formal attire and scientific aura.

Nope, no way anyone would believe anything like that, much less a scientist. It had got to be a coincidence. And a disconcerting one at that.

"What... exactly are you referring to?" Megumi finally asked obliviously.

To her surprise, Renko's shoulders dropped in relief. "Ah, I should never have expected otherwise. In fact, I don't think I have the right to believe any of that in the first place. Not after what happened with Merry. Merry... huh?"

Did this woman always talk to herself like this? It must be weird for those around her.

"A-Anyway, I do wish I can stay a little longer, but I really have to go," Renko finally said.

But another thing caught Megumi's attention. Renko had frozen up, her face taking a shade of mixed anxiety and... longing?

The reason for that became clear, as the very person she was referring to had just made her way up the steps.

* * *

><p>"It sure is dark here. Why would Renko want to come visit the shrine at his time..."<p>

The other woman noticed the two staring, and with an audible gasp, averted eye contact. Likewise, Renko looked down.

_Not exactly on speaking terms, are they?_

_Did those two just get into a fight or something?_

The new woman was the same age as the first stranger, and looked just as youthful. She had long, curly blond hair, and wore a purple dress, which looked to be dirtied and torn in a few places. She wore a mob cap, which she held to steady it in the wind.

"Um... Merry, right?"

"Maribel, actually," she said politely.

"You followed me here." Coming from Renko, it was addressed at Merry. A statement rather than a question.

"Unn, I couldn't help it."

"This is just like you, Merry."

There was a few seconds of silence. After a while, Megumi couldn't take it anymore.

"Hey! What's with this gloomy atmosphere? Uh, come have a seat. Right on the steps."

With Megumi seated and waiting, the other two hesitated before following suit. From the top of the shrine steps, the lights from the city were visible in the distance.

"Renko's new friend, right? How do I address you?" asked Merry.

"No, no. Usami-san's not exactly a friend... Er, I mean, we hadn't met before. Anyway, my name is Edano Megumi. Nice to meet you."

"Merry... It's been over for quite a while now," Renko said solemnly. "So, why are you following me?"

"I was interested as to why you would be visiting the shrine."

"I was simply following this girl. Edano, right? It appeared suspicious to see someone come here." Renko frowned slightly. "Merry, did you truly think I had other reasons for visiting this place?"

"For the sake of exploration," Merry said sarcastically. "After all, Hakurei Shrine is just like any old shrine. There are probably hundreds of them rotting in the forest."

"Even you should understand. Unlike any other abandoned shrine, this one brings back memories neither of us want to remember. In fact, I was just about to leave."

"...Huh?" asked Megumi. "Memories?"

"What memories?" taunted Merry. "I already forgot all of them. Along with that favor you were talking about. Don't you understand? We're equal footing."

"Merry..." A hint of annoyance in Renko's tone.

"Both of you, stop it!" cried Megumi. "Would any of you mind telling me what's going on?"

There was an audible sigh. But Megumi wasn't sure whether it came from Renko or Merry. Perhaps they did it together?

"Right, where do I start?" Renko wondered.

"I can tell the story," Merry claimed. "Recently, Renko here did me a biiig favor. She played along with me in a very interesting game I invented just to fool her."

Renko didn't wait to retort. "That was hardly a favor, and I doubt your intricate 'game' was worth wasting a few years of your life. But of course, it's a matter of perspective."

"But didn't you say so? That you had already done me the huge favor or believing everything?"

"My studies and research had just gotten more intense. It was highly impractical to be spending hours in your dream world at the same time," said Renko matter-of-factly. "Sooner or later, it was time to stop. Merry, you knew that all along, right?"

"D-Dream world?" uttered Megumi.

Merry nodded. "So then I got a little too angry and told Renko that everything I had been showing her was nothing but a lie. It's as simple as that. I probably played along with it for so long too, even I almost forgot about it being a lie. Renko, you have my thanks for reminding me."

"Ah... I see," said Megumi hesitantly, afraid to enter the conflict of two bickering friends. Especially when it seemed suspiciously similar to her own dilemma.

"Anyway, despite the fight we had, we both agreed on one thing," Renko recounted, continuing on where Merry had left off. "That everything, from the objects she brought back from her dreams, to the trips she and I took together into the other world, indeed could hold some truth."

"Yes, we did experience all that together," Merry agreed. "But all of those events were explainable through the work of shared hallucinations and delusions. Having some knowledge of psychology, I can confirm that. The bottom line is, there never was another world in the first place."

To Megumi's surprise, there was nothing Renko could say to argue back.

"But... you only believed that only to spite each other," observed Megumi. "See? Usami-san even asked me if I knew about the other world. She was genuinely curious."

"Huh? Well..." It was Renko's turn to stammer. "I never did believe that such a thing could have existed. Apart from the things that Merry showed me, nothing at all suggested of its presence. Frankly, I had my doubts early on. But I will admit that playtime was fun, if only the slightest. You have my thanks for _that_, Merry. But, your 'trick,' that you pride yourself so much in accomplishing, never worked. Regarding Edano-kun, I was merely wondering what a schoolgirl like her is doing at this time of the day, and I didn't know what else to ask."

"How about... 'What are you doing here at this time of the day?'" suggested Merry.

"Stop it, stop it!" Megumi frantically called. "I'm sorry. But I can't let this go on for another second. Neither of you value each other's presence anymore, so why can't you leave it at that? For the two of you to be so angry over this, I can tell that something very valuable has been lost to both of you. But instead of recovering it, you only attack the other person in the lowest of ways."

Both declined to respond.

Megumi turned to the blonde. "Merry... Usami-san was lying to you. ...Usami-san didn't follow me here because I was suspicious. She came because she sensed that there was something here. I don't know what she expected, and she may not believe it to be something worth going after. But curiosity is hard to come over, isn't it? It's the reason I'm here in the first place."

"You... felt it too?" asked Merry, wide-eyed, looking at Renko.

Renko closed her eyes complacently, with a hint of a smile. "This is interesting."

"More importantly, who exactly are you?" Merry addressed Megumi now.

"Usami-san," addressed Megumi, holding up a hand to put the question on hold. "You really don't believe that something like Gensokyo can exist. But you were curious about what I was doing here, weren't you? I might be wrong, even though you know that you can't believe it, you still want very much to believe."

"Can it be... You've seen the other world?" asked an astonished Merry.

"Don't jump to conclusions yet!" laughed Megumi. "I don't even know if the world I have in mind is the same one you two are referring to."

"Oi, if Edano-kun's seen it too, then this is too unlikely to be a mere coincidence," said Renko, who was lying on her back now. The stars were finally starting to become visible. "Edano-kun, why don't you tell us a bit about it?"

Megumi shook her head stubbornly. "I'm not saying anything, not until the two of you make up to each other again."

Renko sat back up and gave Megumi funny look. Then she sighed. "…If only things were as simple as you make them to be. But, I guess it can't be helped." She extended a hand towards Merry. "I apologize for lying about ever having been fooled by your trick."

"Huh...? So that's what you apologize for..."

"It's your turn," nudged Megumi.

"Eh... I apologize for..." Merry had to think hard on this one. Then, she said sheepishly, "I apologize for lying that I had intended for it to be a trick."

They shook.

"There, you see?" asked Megumi delightfully. "Both of you still had the will to believe. But it's only now that there's actually room for such a belief. Otherwise, anything I say will just go straight over your heads."

"Just hurry up with it already," said Merry impatiently.

"Take your time," said Renko, lying back down on the grass. "And, thank you."

Smiling, Megumi nodded and took a deep breath.

_Quite the delightful duo, these two... I can tell they had seen a lot in their past adventures._

_...It's sad to see how they've come to the point where they needed to be saved this way._

_But, now it's up to them to save me._

_So, please. Listen carefully, okay?_

_..._

_I'm counting on you, Usami-san, Merry._

* * *

><p>"Just like you, I also doubted the existence of the other world.<p>

But... I couldn't help dreaming. Dreaming that it exists.

But that was long ago. Back when I was in middle school. But throughout the years, I had been having daydreams about it, similar to what the two of you had been seeing.

And, you know... Just now, you two have erased all my doubts. ...My doubts as to whether Gensokyo exists or not, that is.

There's no mistaking it.

Gensokyo indeed exists.

Those lucky enough to live there refer to it as that: Gensokyo. Literally, the countryside of illusions.

In Gensokyo, there's much beauty to be seen. I know that's not saying much, but... I've seen it. I really have.

The beauty lies not only in the physical world, but also in the sheer simplicity of such world.

That's right. Simplicity.

Eh, how should I describe it... In Gensokyo, if you are foolish enough to think that you have what it takes to solve any strange incident that occurs, then you probably can. Whether you are a lazy shrine maiden, or a meddling witch, it makes no difference.

Likewise, if you would like to selfishly do funny things to Gensokyo to fit your needs, chances are that you have the capability.

From what I've seen, one's desires can only be so complicated, especially in such a world as Gensokyo. This kind of selfishness only makes things much simpler.

How should I put this... there is a freedom to understand the wants of other people? Whatever freedom it is, I'm sure it can never exist in such a complicated society as the modern world... I wonder if that's the true meaning of freedom.

Hahaha! I think I may have just gotten to the point where I don't know what I'm saying anymore...

...But you know, it's not all selfishness and suffering in Gensokyo! Everything is actually quite balanced.

Those of us with a desire or ambition have every right to pursue them in any way possible. And given the variety of magic, there's plenty of room to be creative. To make it so that it's hard to upset the balance, everything is easily resolvable. If anyone else is also selfish enough to think they have the right to stop you, then by all means, let them attempt to fight for their desire. Just like olden times, justice goes only to the victorious!

Oh, here I'm getting to the fun part!

Just how does combat work in Gensokyo?

Even for a world with such complicated workings of magic, there is one standardized mode of combat. It's a little surprising, but it fits Gensokyo so well.

Danmaku, it's called.

Beautiful patterns that light up the sky, which are actually bullets meant for attack. A non-lethal kind of attack.

Even the essence of conflict in Gensokyo takes such a breathtaking form. The definition of conflict itself is rewritten - now it is strictly for enjoyment. Maybe even admiration for the opponent's power. All in all, it's a contest... to see who is the most beautiful and intimidating at the same time. As such, in these kinds of battles, it is aesthetics that is prioritized above everything else. The way it works, conflict is even said to bring foes closer to one another. Maybe that's why it's so easy to make friends with someone you had just fought.

So, it's not wrong to say that Gensokyo is forever at peace.

But then, those who haven't seen conflict cannot comprehend peace. Some humans and even youkai are too weak to fend for themselves. These poor people are subject to the whim of Gensokyo's magic, especially at the hands of wild youkai. There's no telling what can happen to them. But such is a necessary obstacle to everlasting peace - preserving the balance that has shaped Gensokyo into the way it is.

And you know... Most of the things that can happen in Gensokyo, especially magic, are beyond what any of us can imagine. Yet, strangely enough, they are easily understandable and explained by a child. That's just how it is, isn't it? Complicated, yet simple at the same time. Outsiders like us can't do much about it other than to observe and marvel."

* * *

><p>"...Anyway, that's Gensokyo in a nutshell," concluded Megumi. "I had quite some fun seeing all that. I'm sure I've spent quite some time in that world, but I can't remember exactly what happened."<p>

"Still, that's a very detailed description," Merry pointed out. "It sounds very familiar too."

"That's because it's suspiciously similar to the other world that we know of," said Renko. "The variety of magic, and all those folklorish creatures. That much, we have seen."

Megumi's face brightened. "So you have seen it! You must also believe that it exists, right?"

Renko's expression was unreadable.

"As a full-fledged scientist, it's not that easy to win me over with such a bold hypothesis," she replied enigmatically. "But I agree that such a world is quite fun to imagine. I will admit that I can neither confirm nor deny its existence."

"You think so?" Megumi's shoulders dropped in disappointment.

"Neither can I," said Merry. "But the fact that you know about it, Edano-san, despite never having met us, it makes Gensokyo's existence all the more likely."

"Extremely likely," corrected Renko. "Edano-kun... After hearing all that from you, there is one thing I can prove, but unfortunately, it goes against the ethics of science. Still, I'll do my best to prove it to you."

"...?"

"I can prove how much I _want_ Gensokyo to exist," Renko elaborated. Then she quickly added, "Except for the fact that forming a hypothesis out of sheer subjectivity is never a good sign. So please, don't expect too much."

"Still, I'd like to hear it," said Merry. _This is just like the old days_, she thought.

* * *

><p>"Merry, Edano-san.<p>

Has it ever crossed your mind, the question of why we exist?

Sometimes, it seems that the universe is created just for our sake. Just so that we humans can be aware of our own existence, as well as the existence of the universe itself. Almost as if we are the ones determining the existence of the universe.

But, did everything have to become this way? Why did the miracle of life spring up during the earliest years of this planet? Why was it able to evolve up to this stage over time?

As a theoretical physicist, I think this too much of a coincidence. If it weren't for atoms, molecules, and the specific properties that each of them have, none of this would ever have happened. None of this could ever have happened.

Who said gravity has to work the way it does? Who said positive and negative has to attract? You get my point...

One of my hypotheses is that, upon the universe's creation, someone, or something, had invented the physical world to be the way it is. But that is just one hypothesis. There can be many others for such great a mystery as this.

Maybe, just maybe... This universe exists precisely because we humans are aware of its existence.

Perhaps there are an infinite number of universes out there, that fail to exist because their physics is unable to generate creatures with awareness, like this one here.

And perhaps... there are different universes out there that do manage to exist because their inhabitants have gained awareness.

But there is one explanation in which I have quite a bit of confidence. This might finally bring Gensokyo into question.

Has it ever occurred to you...

That this universe, the universe that we live in, doesn't exist? Or rather, never existed in the first place?

Everything you see, hear, and feel... is hypothetical. The world you see now... is what a universe would have been like, if its physics were to function they way you and I perceive it.

...After all, it is too much of a coincidence. The fact that we have developed into such an advanced society as this one... Surely, that was accounted for as early as the Big Bang? There are countless sayings about how insignificant we are as humans, but... I do wonder if it's really true.

It could even be said that humans invented this universe. 'Hypothesized,' would be the better word. It's all so that humans themselves can thrive in it. Think nepotism.

Overall, this is why I think that there may be a sliver of possibility to Gensokyo's existence.

* * *

><p>The other two girls stared blankly into the distance, trying to comprehend all that was said.<p>

"So, just like this universe... Gensokyo is also hypothetical? Sounds complicated, but coming from you, it should make sense, right?" asked Merry.

"That's only a theory," said Renko modestly. "Don't forget, there is the question of who exactly is doing the hypothesizing. Gensokyo is a world far unlike this one, and all of its magic needs to be explained one way or another. It's no easy task. I do know that it's not us who are behind it, given that we are but mere audiences. Yet, we were able to see it, somehow..."

They sat in silence for a while, mulling over the puzzle. But Megumi was silent for another reason.

That's right. It had just hit her. She should have known all along.

"No... you must transcend causality for that to happen."

Megumi said it in a serious tone.

"The Dragon is in charge of the rules."

"Dragon?" asked Merry.

"I just remembered," Megumi continued. "The Dragon is the highest god of Gensokyo. According to legend, its power is said to be the manipulation of truth, and the granting of wishes. ...Actually, it is the dominance over causality."

"Causality, is it?" murmured Renko."Of what you say has some truth to it, then that actually makes things all the more simpler."

"Exactly," giggled Megumi.

But Renko pressed on. "Would you mind elaborating?"

"All you must do is believe in the Dragon. It is the force that bridges reality and illusion. The one who is in charge of the rules behind every mystery. If only in the small world of Gensokyo, where the technology of today is still unheard of. To put it in terms of Usami-san's theory, all we have to do... is believe in an entity that does the brunt work of hypothesizing."

"Wow...can such a thing really happen?" asked Merry.

"Well, there isn't any proof against something like that," said Renko. "But just try imagining it… A hypothetical hypothesizer! But, Edano-kun, how did you know all this?"

Megumi didn't answer immediately.

She abruptly stood up and took a few steps towards the shrine, causing the two women to curiously turn around.

"Eh? Where are you...?"

But before Merry could ask further, Megumi turned around to face them, before addressing them.

"Usami-san, Merry... Thank you for believing." She bowed. "Because of that, I was able to remember. That I am… the Dragon of Gensokyo. Right, the one in charge of Gensokyo's existence, it is me. But I have one last favor to ask of you."

"...Well, I'm ready," said Renko after a pause.

"I think... it is people like you that make this world all the more interesting," continued Megumi. "People willing to believe in something so different, so beautiful and so unheard of in this world. That's why, no matter what people say about you, no matter what bad things happen, don't stop being the people you are now, okay?"

The two of them were silent, but not because they had no response to Megumi's demand. Megumi had suddenly become transparent.

"Could it be... Are you headed towards that place?" asked Merry eagerly.

"I'm just saving that place," Megumi replied. "It's my job after all."

By this point, she was near invisible. But the two women could hear her just the same.

"Goodbye, both of you... Thanks again!"

* * *

><p>Everything had become dark once more.<p>

In Megumi's consciousness, she was suspended in nothingness. Her purpose for being there was vague, as well as the events that had just happened.

Slowly, the facts crept back in. She was a young girl once more, 14 years of age. And she was not in reality. Actually, the world she came from seemed to be far, far away. Insignificant and small, given her current position.

So a dream, perhaps?

_**No, Megumi, this isn't a dream.**_

To Megumi's surprise, it was her own voice calling for her. Although, it sounded a bit more mature, as if it belonged to a version of herself from a few years into the future.

_Come to think of it, isn't that related to what had just happened?_

_Who are you? What am I doing here?_ asked Megumi.

_**I am the Dragon of Gensokyo.**_

A sudden wave of realization swept over Megumi.

_**I am the creature which you had perceived yourself to be the container for. Right now, I'm borrowing the personality and voice of your future self, that you dreamt of, in order to speak with you.**_

_...That I dreamt of?_

Megumi looked around, but couldn't detect a presence.

_**You remember, right? Being the container for the Dragon, and having to save Gensokyo from oblivion. That, Megumi... **_**that**_** was a dream. That's why it wouldn't be surprising if you have some trouble remembering it.**_

_Ah. No... It's actually coming back now... You just reminded me._

_**You were the one who made it this way, remember? You turned every single event... every detail you've seen... from before you arrived at Gensokyo for the first time, to your meeting with Usami-san and Merry, you turned all that into a dream.**_

_Yeah... Yeah, I did do that._

_**It was of your belief that Gensokyo could be saved that way, if the Dragon never left the Border. And your ability to transcend causality indicated that, unless otherwise proven impossible, you had every ability to manipulate the truth. In this case, it was turning everything into a dream.**_

_Haha... Did it work?_ asked Megumi curiously.

_**Yes. You are back where you started from. That dream you had known all along, you were having it while sleeping at the Border. And now, your consciousness is still inside the Border. That's why we are able to communicate directly.**_

_So all this time, I had been sleeping while being transported from the Outside to Gensokyo... But then, why? Why did I have that dream? What does this all mean?_

_**Megumi... Anytime now, I can simply erase your memories and take up residence in your soul. Then you would appear on the other side of the Border, and the entire cycle would start again.**_

_**But, there is no longer a need.**_

_**You've seen it, haven't you? How Usami-san and Merry had stopped believing. I had little choice but to do what I had done. That is, manifest myself in a human. I picked the next Outside human who strayed close to the Border, which happened to be you.**_

_**You were going to enter Gensokyo anyway, so it was most probable you would believe... That you would place much value in Gensokyo's existence.**_

_**So I let you play the role of savior. And then, it was up to you to convince them that, Gensokyo does exist. Usami-san and Merry, that is. Otherwise, you would have never remembered that you were the Dragon.**_

There was a brief silence.

_**...And you would never have made everything into a dream.**_

…

_So that little moment when I was a high school student... That could have easily been reality_, Megumi realized.

_**It could have**_, confirmed the Dragon. _**But you decided not to let it be. That's because you remembered Gensokyo. It's all thanks to your decision to destroy Gensokyo before Outsiders could permanently erase its existence.**_

_Ah, right, that's how it went_, Megumi remembered. But just now, something not quite right was starting to bother her. _But... if everything were a dream, then I didn't really meet with Usami-san and Merry, right? I couldn't have convinced them. How can that be possible?_

_**About Usami-san and Merry... they have this strange ability of being able to live the dreams of others. In that case, it would be your dream. This is beyond the scope of your knowledge, and it's up to Outside science, as well as my role as the Dragon to explain for it. No worries. You convincing worked just fine, that is all that matters.**_

Megumi giggled and shuddered a little, having just been told how limited her knowledge was. But then, she was talking to the Dragon after all.

_Hey, if that was a dream... then those powers that I could use... are they not there anymore?_

_**I've removed your powers, as the human named Megumi and the Dragon are now distinct entities**_, confirmed the Dragon. _**There is no longer any use for you to have my powers at your disposal.**_

_**Yes, you are nothing but a docile human.**_

In the distance, there was a speck of light that drew closer by the second, like the exit of a tunnel.

_That's fine..._ If Megumi had a physical body, she would be smiling, and turning her head towards the light. _So, I should cross the Border now, right?_

_**Before you actually enter Gensokyo for the first time, promise that you will keep everything that has happened to this point a secret. I don't think there is enough room in Gensokyo for something with such a high level of complexity. Some things are better off not known. ...That is the chief factor behind the existence of Gensokyo.**_

_I promise._ She laughed mentally. _I wasn't going to tell anyone even if you hadn't told me._

_**There's one more thing.**_

_**I had given you no easy task. If I was able to feel heavier emotions, I believe I would be loaded with much admiration and gratitude. Therefore, I brought you a gift. You shall see soon enough.**_

_Hahaha... I just hope it's not too much of a surprise._

The Dragon no longer responded. Megumi could already feel herself emerging back into wakefulness.

* * *

><p>The smell of early autumn was in the air.<p>

Megumi had been leaning against a tree. She wondered if she had fallen asleep in the Outside, in the exact same position.

Despite the sun being due to set soon, the colors of the scenery was still visible. Some of the leaves had already turned golden brown, fiery red, and all sorts of fall colors, while others still retained their greenish hue. There was still too much foliage to look into the distance, but Megumi thought she could make out the top of a shrine roof.

...Hakurei territory?

Reimu probably wouldn't remember her, and neither would Marisa, or anyone else she had met in Gensokyo. In the end, a dream was a dream.

"What is this place? Edano-san, you there?"

The voice sounded familiar. And it came from just on the other side of the tree.

"Who is it?" Megumi stepped around, and there he was.

Kyuuri-kaburi, the kappa Megumi had known in the Outside, sitting and looking about. His hair was ruffled, is backpack tossed lazily on the ground.

"Oi, Edano-san, I can smell it in the air. The rich feeling of spiritual energy. Is this... Gensokyo?" he asked. "The pastoral kingdom that's full of with magic and monsters?"

"Well, you're a smart one," teased Megumi.

"They kept mentioning it in the archives. I thought it was just a legend. Or, I could just be dreaming."

"I thought I was one who was dreaming," murmured Megumi.

The kappa looked at her curiously. To his surprise, Megumi's eyes had become misty. "Hold on... What do you mean?"

"I thought you existed only in my imagination," revealed Megumi. "So I never did take you seriously. You were just... that. A temporary friend. I guess I was wrong, was I?"

"What? Hold on, where did that come from?" he said exasperatedly.

Megumi shook her head and giggled. Right, during her entire life in the Outside, she had had the powers to perceive the occult. It was hardly surprising that, the moment the Dragon selected her to be its container, she suddenly had abilities ever since she was born. Causality could be tricky indeed. And such an ability would have included being able to see creatures like kappa and protect them from becoming nonexistent.

Just as she had done with Suika.

That's right... Kyuuri-kaburi should be thankful.

"But, never mind! Everything's okay now," she said. Suddenly, she grabbed Kyuuri's arm, a mysterious expression spreading across her face. "Actually, everything's not okay. Not until I show you everything!"

"Whoa… slow down, Edano-san!" cried Kyuuri as he was pulled to his feet and the two of them started darting towards Hakurei Shrine.

Surprisingly, Megumi stopped abruptly.

"Kyuuri..."

She spoke thoughtfully, as if having recalled something important.

"In this world, they call me Mugen. So, that's what you're calling me from now on, okay?"

Right, that's what she was going to introduce herself as, once she meets with Reimu and the others. It would be kind of funny to tell it to Marisa, who was the person who gave her the name.

"Okay... sure. But why?"

But she only laughed heartily.

"It's a secret!"

* * *

><p>AN: That's it folks! To the 15-20 of you who have been following this story, thanks for reading. Terribly sorry for hurling the "It's just a dream" trope at your face, but… Gensokyo must be saved! Still, I hope you've enjoyed the ride. Special thanks to the six of you in my story alert list - thanks for sticking around! This fic wouldn't be where it is today if it weren't for your interest. Special, special thanks to nekokuro13 for the constant and hilarious reviewing. To neko: I know your reviewing spree is (sort of) the prize money for the 100th review on your story, SSD, but really, thanks for the boost in morale!

Before I end this, let me know your last thoughts on this fic!


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